Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Budino

meyer lemon buttermilk budino

meyer lemon

This lemony, creamy dessert is worth an hour on the treadmill, or a cardio shoe-shopping trip, or, just eat it. This is also great for a small dinner party as it makes 6 servings. You might have two questions: 1) What is a Meyer Lemon?, 2) What is a Budino? Meyer Lemons are a variety of lemon that began when a lemon and orange were crossed. Somehow. Most specialty grocery stores have them. What you need to really know is that they have a sweeter flavor and a darker peel than normal lemons and they are delicious. Budino is just a word for pudding - there are more dense and less dense varieties. Something to add to your Gour-Maybe vocabulary. Side bar, my favorite budino ever is the butterscotch at Pizzeria Mozza in LA. So. Good. This budino has egg whites, and is a little like a souffle/pudding combo, which is great for a "light" summer sweet. I adapted from Epicurious (Bon Appetit 2006), because I found that buttermilk made it a little less sweet, which I liked. I'd serve this with blackberries and a little honey on top. I think the whipped cream is too much with it, but that's up to you. Get the budino scoop after the jump!



Meyer Lemon Butterscotch Budino (serves 6)
You will need:

• 1/2 C plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C fresh Meyer lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
• 2 T fresh regular lemon juice (1 large lemon)
• 2 T finely grated Meyer lemon zest
• 1/2 C whole milk
• 1/4 C plus 2 T buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter six 3/4-cup ramekins. Gour-Maybe Tip: Zest lemons before juicing them, this seems obvious, or buy enough lemons to zest some and juice some. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon juices, and lemon zest in large bowl; whisk until well blended. Whisk in milks. Using an electric hand mixer, beat egg whites and salt in medium bowl until frothy. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold beaten egg whites into lemon mixture in 2 additions with a spatula. Divide mixture among prepared custard cups. Place cups in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of custard cups. Bake puddings until tops are golden and spring back when lightly touched, about 30 minutes. Remove cups from water (I use silicone tongs for this). Serve immediately.