When life (or a friend) gives you Lemons

2 Meyer Lemons with an orange (on the right)

Recently a close friend did a quick winter get-away to Arizona. She said it was to visit a relative, but we know she was escaping winter as we wished we could. The area she visited has interesting agriculture that she always tells us about. This trip she brought back Meyer Lemons and was kind to share a couple with me. 

We can't find Meyer Lemons in our store so this bit of southern sunshine was special. These lemons are noticeably larger in size - they looked like a slightly lighter-in-color orange. We had to caution people not to eat them as that. They are sweeter than regular lemons but still have a little tang that would make you pucker. I searched for a special recipe to use my lemons. This Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake was a hit! 

MEYER LEMON PUDDING CAKE       

Ingredients: 

4 eggs, whites and yolks separated

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice (I got this from 1 lemon!)

¼ cup whole milk

Finely grated zest from the lemon

Instructions:

1.   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking dish with a 6-cup capacity and set aside. (or a larger pan or dish for a thinner cake)

2.   In the mixer bowl, with whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until glossy peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Gently transfer the egg whites from the mixer bowl into a second bowl and set aside. 

3.   In the mixer bowl combine sugar, butter and flour. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, milk and lemon zest. Mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. With a rubber spatula gently fold in the beaten egg whites, folding in about one-third at a time, until they are just incorporated. 

4.   Pour the batter into the greased baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cake is set and the top is golden brown. Depending on the size of the baking pan, it could be 30-40 minutes. The cake is done when the pudding layer reaches 172-175 degrees (check with a food thermometer).

5.   Remove from the oven and allow the pudding cake to cool slightly. Dust with powdered sugar and top with fresh blueberries if desired before serving. The cake can be enjoyed slightly warm or cold.