Old Fashioned Lemon Sponge

I can't stay away from those lemons very long-they are definitely a desert island food for me. This is a traditional nursery-type pudding, involving a thin-ish batter, which turns into a light cake with a layer of lemon custard below, while baking. The version here comes almost entirely from Russ Parson's How to Read a French Fry.It is closely related to Honeycomb Pudding, a Jane Grigson classic, which was a favorite of Laurie Colwin. That superior 3 layered dessert can be found in the latter's More Home Cooking. I think this version, though somewhat less fancy, is lovely, and is a bit simpler to do. It would be fun to make this with children assisting in the kitchen,as well as assisting in the eating, because the transformation is amusing. It is also delicious.

This is what you need:

all purpose flour 3 tbsp
sugar 3/4 cups
salt 1/2 tsp
milk 1 cup
eggs, separated 3
lemon zest, grated 2 tbsps
lemon juice 6 tbsps
butter, melted 1 tbsp
egg white one

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 3 cup baking/serving dish. Glass is nice; you can see the layers. Combine flour, sugar and salt. Set aside. Mix milk, lemon juice and zest, and eggs yolks. Add mixed dry ingredients, and stir til smooth. Stir in butter. Beat egg whites til stiff; fold into batter. Pour into the buttered dish, and place dish in larger pan. Set in stove, and pour very hot water into the larger pan, to 1" deep. Bake until top is set and browned (though better, perhaps, slightly less browned (i.e. burnt) than mine, seen above)-about 35-40 minutes.

Presto. Kitchen magic-I love it.

Comments

[Kimberly]

My mother's version of this pudding/cake was one of my favorite desserts when I was a child. I haven't ever made it myself... and I think it's time. Thanks for the reminder.

[Rebecca]

My mother used to make this all the time, too; it was one of her favorites, although not so much ours as children. I think we were a bit put off by the tartness of the whole thing. Definitely one to resurrect.

And I was just writing about Laurie Colwin this morning to Julie, whose post on Barbara Tropp reminded me of her, another untimely death and very sad when you read Home Cooking and More Home Cooking, knowing what's coming.