Lemon Sponge Pudding

I'm home alone for a few days, so that's a good opportunity for me to have all those things that Binks doesn't like...including my all time favourite, lemon pudding.

I've been making this recipe for years...which is fairly evident from the well-splattered recipe card that sits on the kitchen shelf.  I made it for breakfast* yesterday, and posted a pic on facebook, which prompted quite a few requests for the recipe, so here it is. It's a recipe from home, so uses cup measures rather than weights.  A cup is 250ml, 1/4c = 60ml or 4Tbsp if you don't have cup measures.

If you like lemon, you'll love this.  It's absolutely delicious, especially if you get good sharp lemons and get the lemon/sugar balance just right. It's light & flummery, and very easy to do.

Ingredients:
50g butter (I use 1/4c rice bran oil to make this dairy free)
1/4c flour
2 eggs, separated
3/4c sugar
finely grated rind of 2 lemons
generous 1/4c lemon juice
3/4c milk (I use soy milk)

Method:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the flour so it's smooth with no lumps. Add 1/2c sugar to this & the grated lemon rind.

Put the egg whites in the dish you're going to bake the pudding in (1L capacity). Add the yolks to the butter mix.  Beat the egg whites until they form peaks, the slowly add the remaining 1/4c sugar until it's all added, the sugar has dissolved and the mix is stiff.

Add the lemon juice (I do an overflowing 1/4c, because I like the extra sharpness of the lemon - I use scant measures of sugar too for the same reason) to the butter mix & then the milk, ensuring you have a smooth mix.

Pour the lemon mixture into the egg whites and carefully fold in.

Bake at 180-190C (350-375F, 4-5 gas mark) for 35-40 minutes until it's just set.

Serves 4 ...or do what I do and eat it straight from the dish, not sharing it with anyone.

*I was going to have it for dinner on Friday night, but ended up working later than intended and not making it, so did at the next opportunity. Nowt wrong with that is there?