Use lemons or limes to make this super light and squidgy comforting pud. And if you really want to hedge your bets, use both!
It must be true what they say, you can take the girl out of England but you can’t take England out of the girl. Once winter rolls around, I feel almost compelled to cook two courses at night and love my main courses to be followed by “afters,” and when I say “afters” I mean a freshly cooked pud!
The colder conditions of late have been the perfect excuse to raise my pudding game, not that I ever need an excuse to make a pud and this one is sublime. (See what I did there?!)
As it was, my neighbour was the enabler (ha, I’m a poet and I know it,) because she brought me back some big, fat juicy limes from the family farm. I seriously considered making my Coconut Lime Slice or another one of my faves, the Zucchini, Lime and Pepita Loaf but like I said, it was positively baltic and I wanted something warm and comforting.
I’ve always fancied making a Lemon Delicious but thought the tangy limes would be a most delicious twist and how right I was. The tanginess of the limes really cuts through the sweetness of the sponge.
Just between you and me and the rest of the interwebs, I think I’ve always been a bit fearful of making a “delicious” pudding because it needs to be cooked in a water bath.
I’m pleased to say my fears were totally unfounded because cooking it in a water bath just means placing your pudding dish in a roasting tin with hot water. You want the water to be half way up the sides of the pudding dish because that’s what makes the squidgy saucy bottom and the deliciously light sponge on top.
If you’ve never had a Lemon Delicious, it’s like a super light self-saucing pudding. Imagine a delicious citrus sauce nestled under a super light sponge; it’s comforting, it’s zesty and it’s all kind of delicious.
We like to serve ours with ice cream but cream would work just as well. And if you want to eat your pudding straight from the dish, I won’t judge you… I’ll join you!
Do you have a lime recipe? Are you a fan of hot puddings?
Serves 4 generously
Ingredients
50g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
zest of 2 limes or 2 lemons
100ml lime or lemon juice
3 large eggs, separated
50g plain flour
250ml (1 cup) milk
icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
How to – Traditional
- Preheat oven to 180C and generously grease a 2 litre casserole or pudding dish.
- Combine butter, sugar and zest in a food processor and whizz until pale.
- Add the egg yolks, juice, flour and milk and whizz until well mixed – don’t worry if it looks a bit curdled. Transfer mixture to clean, large bowl and set aside. Boil the kettle.
- In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites until firm but not stiff.
- Fold the egg whites through the zesty mixture.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared dish and place it in a roasting tin filled halfway with hot water from the kettle.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the pudding looks lightly browned and feels spongy but still has a little bit of a wobble and is softish underneath. Take care not to overcook the pud as this will reduce the amount of sauce.
- Dust with icing sugar, if desired and serve with a dollop of thick cream or ice cream.
How to – Thermomix
- Preheat oven to 180C and generously grease a 2 litre casserole or pudding dish.
- Place butter, sugar and zest in TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down sides and base of bowl and mix again for 20 seconds on speed 5.
- With the blades running on speed 3, add the egg yolks one at a time through the hole in the lid. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add the juice, flour and milk and mix for 10 seconds on speed 3. Transfer mixture to clean, large bowl and set aside. Boil the kettle.
- Insert the butterfly in a dry clean, TM bowl, add the egg whites and mix on speed 3.5 until firm but not stiff.
- Fold the egg whites through the zesty mixture.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared dish and place it in a roasting tin filled halfway with hot water from the kettle.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the pudding looks lightly browned and feels spongy but still has a little bit of a wobble and is softish underneath. Take care not to overcook the pud as this will reduce the amount of sauce.
- Dust with icing sugar, if desired and serve with a dollop of thick cream or ice cream.
