Luscious Lemon Soufflé Pudding
By: Jamie Schler
Published: Saturday, March 20, 2010 - 5:46am

Ingredients




1 cup (200 g) sugar, divided
3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
3 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest
 cup (50 g) flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
 cup (80 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup whole milk (I used half low fat milk + half light cream)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar (if you don’t have cream of tartar replace with a few grains of

Preparation

1 Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Butter 6 individual ramekins or pyrex bowls. 2 Remove and set aside 2 Tbs of the sugar. 3 Separate the eggs: place the yolks in a large mixing bowl and the whites place in a separate bowl preferably plastic or metal. 4 Cream the butter with the rest of the sugar (1 cup less the 2 Tbs) until blended and fluffy. 5 Beat in the yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition until blended. 6 Beat in the vanilla and the lemon zest. 7 Add the flour and the salt and beat just until combined. 8 With the mixer on low, beat in the milk and the lemon juice. It will be very liquid. 9 In the separate bowl with very clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy and then until soft peaks form. 10 Continue beating the whites as you gradually add the 2 tablespoons sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. 11 Fold the whites into the yolk/lemon batter just until incorporated and you have no more chunks of whites. 12 Using a ladle, fill the 6 ramekins with the batter almost to the top. 13 Place the filled ramekins in a large baking pan (placing a piece of newspaper on the bottom of the pan keeps the water of the water bath from boiling) and very carefully (so as not to get any water in the lemon batter) fill the pan with hot water, so that the water is halfway up the ramekins. If you like, place the baking pan in the oven and then pour in the water; this will avoid you having to lift and move the baking pan after it is filled and risk splashing the water into the batter. 14 Bake for 40 – 45 minutes. The tops will be puffed up, maybe ½ to 1 inch (1 – 2 cm) above the rim of the ramekins, and a deep golden brown. 15 Remove the baking pan from the oven then carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath onto a kitchen towel. 16 Allow to cool slightly before serving. Like a soufflé, the tops will sink a bit when cooling. 17 Serve hot or warm – they can be eaten later but are best when fresh from the oven or just slightly cooled – with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.

About


These mini soufflé puddings will have a top layer of puffed, light as air soufflé and the bottom layer will be creamy, almost like a pudding. They are tart and lemony like the best of lemon pies but warm, light and soothing and oh-so elegant. They are also fabulous chilled in the refirgerator - if you have any left over!