Lemon Surprise Pudding
This is one of my favourite old fashioned ‘nursery-food’ English pudding recipes. I could never get tired of eating it. But how often is it made today I wonder? Yet it is not difficult to make. It has magical qualities - the soft sponge topping and runny lemony custard beneath (which is the surprise, I guess) is a sublime combination.
Cream the butter with them grated lemon rind and sugar. When it is pale and fluffy beat in the egg yolks. Gently stir in the sifted flour alternating with the milk. Add the leomon juice and fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites lightly. Bake in a moderate oven 180°C (350°F) for about 35 - 45 minutes until golden brown on top. Do not overcook as you want to retain the creamy lemony custard sauce below the sponge topping. It rather depends on your oven for the length of time to cook it so that it is just right!
Eat it warm with thick Jersey cream.
Theo Hodges
Theo Hodges was born in Kent. After a degree in Graphic Design she joined J. Walter Thompson Advertising Agency as an Art Director working on accounts such as Rowntrees, Kraft and The Butter Council. While she was at University in Perugia, Italy she started collecting recipes from friends and family. In 1980 she set up her own design agency: Theo Hodges Design Consultants. For many years when they were young Theo, her sister and six cousins used to spend vacations at her Grandmother’s Victorian vicarage in Kent. ‘The thing about remembering childhood’ she says, is ‘there’s a whole lot of oblivion, and then out of it something floats up, quite sharp and clear. Many of the meals I can still see vividly and various recipes of mine were originally from Granny’s kitchen. ‘The kitchen garden was stuffed with raspberries, huge red dessert gooseberries, strawberries, runner beans, peas and much more with the hens in a shed at the back. But Granny only ate chicken breast and runner beans, followed by raspberries and Jersey cream - and therefore so did we. When raspberries were out of season, and in those days the season was much shorter, Granny made Victoria sponge cakes sandwiched with cream and home-made raspberry jam. On this limited but delicious diet we all thrived’. Theo’s mother was an excellent cook as well, and had been taught by the house- keeper at their house in Mougins, South of France. And once rationing was withdrawn in England in 1952 and good, fresh ingredients became available again, she amassed an enormous number of recipes which has formed the basis for Theo’s collection of family desserts.