Lemon Pudding "Cakes"

By pammons

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 large lemons
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing ramekins
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• water, for baking
• 6 strawberries, halved, for garnish
• mint sprigs for garnish
• confectioners' sugar for garnish

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Zest and juice lemons, to yield 1/2 cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons zest.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together 5 tablespoons of the butter with the sugar until well blended, 3-4 minutes, stopping machine to scrape down sides of bowl occasionally. Then beat in lemon zest.
Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, then gradually beat in flour. On reduced speed, beat in lemon juice and finally the milk. Mixture will be somewhat thin and may look curdled; that's ok.
Generously butter 6(3/4 cup) ramekins. Set them in a larger baking pan, such as 9-by-13-inch Pyrex pan.

Clean the mixer beaters to remove any trace of oil. Replace them in the electric mixer, and in another large bowl, on high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Then, in 3 equal additions, gently fold whites into egg yolk mixture.

Divide mixture evenly among buttered ramekins. Then fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake on center rack of preheated 350-degree oven until tester inserted into centers of pudding comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Pudding cakes will puff up like little souffles and then deflate after being removed from oven.

Carefully remove ramekins from water bath. You can serve pudding cakes warm, at room temperature, or chill. (If serving chilled, cool, cover and refrigerate them. They can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
Garnish each serving with couple of strawberries and mint sprigs. Sprinkle confectioners sugar.

280 calories per serving.