When Life Gives You Lemons…..

It’s been a busy week in the Camp Hill kitchen. I have had lots of unexpected guests and on Tuesday, I was casting around, looking at what was left in the fridge and cupboard that could feed six on short notice. One thing I did have was a grove of lemons. It’s like that with seasonal produce isn’t it? At the end of summer, you can’t get a locally grown lemon for love nor money but at the end of a literally fruitful winter, I had gifted lemons coming at me in all directions.

I decided to use to the last gasp of winter chill as an excuse to make Lemon Delicious puddings for dessert. I have always made Lemon Delicious in the microwave, straight out of the Woman’s Weekly Microwave Cookbook. Now I know most of you would have had one of these books and most of you also would have long ago donated it to an op shop. I know, because every time I visit an op shop, microwave oven cookbooks line the shelves.  Sure, it’s full of naff recipes from the early 80’s but it also has a section on steamed puddings (perfect for the microwave) and one on making lollies and jams. Anything that involves sugar or butter is prone to seizing, burning or sticking  in a saucepan but you will rarely have a problem when you make sweets in a microwave. I recommend the Butterscotch Brazils and commend you to hunt out the Woman’s Weekly version and re-house it in your own bookshelf.  They don’t even print it anymore so it’s a collector’s item!

Anyway, back to the Lemon Delicious. On this occasion, I did not make it in the microwave as I was already using the the oven. Instead, I looked to Donna Hay’s Modern Classics 2 and made this simple recipe that could be popped into the oven whilst we were eating our meal.  The result is a cross between a souffle and a self saucing pudding.

Lemon Delicious
(Donna Hay)

Ingredients

• 40g butter, softened
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 2 eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup milk

Looking vaguely like lemony scrambled eggs…

 Method

1. Preheat oven to 180c
2. Use electric mixer to combine butter and sugar in a bowl until pale
3. Add lemon rind and eggs yolks and beat until smooth
4. Sift in flour and baking powder and combine
5. Add lemon juice and milk and beat until smooth
6. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form
7. Gently fold egg whites into lemon mixture
8. Grease 4 large ramekins or tea cups ( 1.5 cup capacity) and fill with lemon mixture
9. Place ramekins in a baking tray and add hot water half way up the side of ramekins
10. Bake to 20 – 25 minutes or until risen and golden

Makes 4 puddings (though I stretched it to 6)

Notes

• Donna suggests 2 tablespoons of flour but I prefer 3 to 4 so they are a little more cake like
• Serve dusted with icing sugar is you like. This would suit some cold pouring cream as a foil against the tangy lemon but I had none to hand so we demolished them as is.