Summer is here!

Yes - I am still thinking of you. So many ideas and so much to write about! Welcome to my new series (we'll see how many episodes this lasts)   - what to make when it is hot hot hot. Lets start with an old favorite and then see what the ranch inspires this week. 

-->

Meyer Lemon Tree in my Malibu yard

 

 

 

Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake

Serves 6-8 (although 2 people can do a lot of damage over the course of an evening. 

 

-->

Butter, for greasing dish

1/3-cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1¼ cups sugar

11/4 cups coconut milk (or milk, or soy or ...)

4 teaspoons grated Meyer lemon zest

¾ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice

5 egg yolks

4 egg whites

To make cake: Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter an 8x8 pyrex dish or 4-6 ramekins.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt and 1 cup sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg yolks until blended. 

Stir into flour mixture just until blended. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. On high speed, gradually beat in remaining 1/4-cup sugar. Continue just until whites begin to form stiff peaks.( Curl instead of stand straight up.)  Remove bowl from mixer and fold 1 cup of the lemon mixture into the egg whites. Then gently fold egg white mixture, a third at a time, into the remaining lemon mixture just until blended. 

Pour batter into prepared ramekins or baking dish.

Place ramekins or dish in a shallow roasting pan; place pan in oven. Pour boiling water into roasting pan halfway up sides of ramekins or dish. Bake until top of cake is lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes for large cake, 20 to 25 minutes for small cakes. Carefully remove ramekins or dish from water bath and let cool on a wire rack. 

When cool, top with powdered sugar or cocoa powder if you wish. You can serve with berries but it is delicious just the way it is.

 

 

 

Butter, for greasing

1/3-cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups coconut milk

4 teaspoons grated Meyer lemon zest

3/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice

5 egg yolks

4 egg whites

To make cake: Preheat oven to 350

Butter a 9"X 3" Pyrex dish and set aside. 

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt and 1 cup sugar. (Save 1/4 cup for egg whites). In a medium bowl, whisk milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg yolks until blended. Stir into flour mixture just until blended. 

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Then on high speed, gradually beat in remaining 1/4-cup sugar. Continue just until whites begin to form stiff peaks. Remove bowl from mixer and using a whisk or a spatula,  fold 1 cup of the lemon mixture into the egg whites. Then gently fold egg white mixture, a third at a time, into the remaining lemon mixture just until blended. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.

Place dish in a shallow roasting pan; place pan in oven. Pull oven rack out slightly so you can easily pour boiling water into roasting pan so it comes halfway up sides of dish. Don't burn yourself and gently slide the rack back into the oven.

Bake until top of cake is lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove dish from water bath and let cool on a wire rack. Spoon into bowls. A really light and refreshing dessert! You can also bake this with a cup of fresh blackberries folded into the batter. Delicious!