Cooking for Seven

There’s something clear and fresh about lemons that whispers “Spring” to me. The bright tartness reminds me of one of those nippy spring days that seem to hold onto winter. The clean, fresh tastes speaks of new beginnings. The cheerful, warm color says sunny days.

Thus, as these Minnesota days are finally warming up, the birds are beginning to sing and the snow is almost gone, I bid farewell to winter. I love winter for its nostalgia and (most of all) for the skiing, but I am quite ready to say hello to jackets and flats and good-bye to heavy coats and snow boots.

But on to the pudding!

I was very much surprised by the creamy smoothness of this pudding - I was half expecting it to curdle horribly. However, the only lemon that hits the pudding while it cooks is the zest. Only after the pudding has completely cooled do you gently whisk in the lemon juice, ensuring that the pudding stays velvety.

The lemon flavor isn’t loud and sharp; it’s soft and slowly curls out as you savor each bite. Little bits of zest find their way into the finished pudding, even after straining, and give you a pleasant surprise. It’s marvelous.

Notes:

• I used white sugar because I didn’t want to compromise the delicate color, but you could easily substitute a more natural sweetener for a healthier treat.
• I highly recommend serving with a dollop of whipped cream. It elevates a delicious treat to a decadent dessert.

Creamy Lemon Pudding | Printable Page | Makes 4 servings

From Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (make sure you lemon is organic!)
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1) Begin by putting a fine-mesh strainer over a heat-proof bowl set on top of a hot pad. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream and egg yolks. Slowly whisk into the cornstarch mixture.

2) Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat and strain into the prepared bowl. Whisk in the butter and vanilla.

3) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Gently whisk the lemon juice into the chilled pudding until smooth. Spoon into small bowls and serve.


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