Lemon Pudding with Chantilly Cream

A delightful summer treat, this recipe from our chef/partner Jennifer Latham has a very favorable ease-to-impressiveness rating. The texture is somewhere between a pudding and a souffle, and the flavor is lightly sweet, pleasantly creamy, and gently tart. Choose a tart lemon like Eureka for a sweet/tart dessert or a more floral lemon like Meyer for something headier. It’s beloved by everyone at the table – picky kids and all. Serve it in individual Mini Cocottes or an 8-inch Square Baking Dish.

14 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted

200 g (1 cup) sugar

4 eggs, separated

70 g (1/2 cup) all purpose flour

Zest and juice of one lemon (about 1/3 cup juice)

1/2 teaspoon salt

366 g (1 1/2 cups) whole milk

1 cup heavy cream, cold

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Edible flowers, optional

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar with a spoon or spatula. Add the egg yolks and stir to combine. Add the flour and beat until mixture is well combined. Add the lemon zest, juice and salt and stir again. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Set aside.

In a clean large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with a handheld mixer, whisk or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they hold soft peaks.

Stir one third of the egg white mixture into the flour/lemon mixture until combined. Gently stir in one more third. After this is combined, very gently fold in the final third of the egg whites until no streaks of egg white remain.

Carefully divide mixture between 8 Mini Cocottes or an 8-inch Square Baking Dish. Place in preheated oven and bake until pudding fluffs up around the edges but still very slightly jiggles in the center. For cocottes, about 15 minutes. For square baking dish, about 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool until just warm to the touch. While they are cooling, prepare the whipped cream. Place cold cream in a cold bowl and whisk until foamy. Add the powdered sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

To serve, top the puddings with the softly whipped cream and edible flowers, if desired.