Recipe - Lemon Sponge Custard

2 tablespoon Unsalted butter; softened
2/3 cup Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
3 lg Egg yolks
3 tablespoon Allpurpose flour
One fourth cup Strained fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoon Grated lemon zest; (up to 3)
1 cup Whole milk
4 lg Egg whites at room
temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9"x2" round pan or six
6ounce custard cups or ramekins.

In a bowl using the back of a wooden spoon combine and mash together
butter, sugar and salt until crumbly. Beat in egg yolks. Add flour and mix
until smooth. Gradually beat in lemon juice and zest. Stir in milk.

In another bowl, beat egg whites on mediumhigh speed until stiff but still
moist (they will look a little curdly, but don't worry). Gently whisk the
whites into the milk mixture, blending just until no large lumps of whites
remain.

Ladle (do not pour) the batter into the prepared pan or cups; it is okay
for it to reach the top. Bake in a water bath until a knife inserted in the
center comes out nearly clean, 30 to 40 minutes for both small and large
custards. Let stand for 10 minutes in the water bath. During the baking,
the batter will divide into a layer of quivery lemon custard on the bottom
and a light, spongy cake on top.

Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled, in the mold or turned out.
Delicious served with fruit sauces such as raspberry.

For ORANGE SPONGE CUSTARD, prepare Lemon Sponge Custard, above, reducing
the lemon juice to 2 tablespoons, adding One fourth cup strained fresh orange
juice, and substituting the grated zest of 1 orange for the lemon zest.
Recipe by "Joy of Cooking" 1997 edition.
Posted to TNT Recipes Digest by "Michael G. Sooter" msooter@llion.org on
Feb 17, 1998