Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [417]
Remove the boiling water from the heat. Pour and scrape the lemon mixture into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Set it in a large baking pan or deep roasting pan. Fill the larger pan with hot water, pouring it into a corner so as not to douse the custard, until the water comes about halfway up the outside of the baking dish.
Bake until the top is set when the dish is jiggled, until a knife inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer the very hot baking dish to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. This dessert is best served warm, within an hour of its coming out of the oven. However, you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. To serve, cut the “pudding cake” into quarters, placing each on individual plates.
Serving Suggestions: Serve the wedges with fresh raspberries, fresh blackberries, finely chopped mint leaves, or sliced strawberries macerated for 15 minutes with a little sugar.
Baked Lemon Poppy Seed Pudding: Add ¼ cup poppy seeds with the lemon juice.
Baked Orange Pudding: Substitute orange zest for the lemon zest and frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed, for the lemon juice.
Baked Rice Pudding
Inspired by the rice pudding at New York delis, this is a baked custard; the rice slowly falls to the bottom and leaves a layer of custard on top. Cut it out of the pan in wedges like a cake. You don’t need a water bath here because the starch in the rice protects the eggs. Makes 6 servings
Unsalted butter for greasing the baking dish
3 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
4 cups milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
2 cups cold cooked rice (see Note)
½ cup sugar
½ cup raisins, preferably golden raisins
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 10-inch round or 9-inch square baking dish.
Whisk the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl until creamy. Whisk in the milk, rice, sugar, raisins, vanilla, and salt until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Bake until lightly browned and just set when jiggled, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving; or continue cooling to room temperature, then cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Note: If you’re making the rice from scratch, use ¾ cup white rice and 1½ cups water simmered over low heat, covered, until creamy, about 15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions: Pour Warmed Cream or maple syrup over the top of each piece.
Variations: Reduce the sugar to ¼ cup; add ¼ cup honey with the remaining sugar.
Substitute dried cherries, dried blueberries, dried raspberries, chopped pitted dates, chopped dried apples, or chopped pitted prunes for the raisins. For a very easy dessert, stop by a Chinese restaurant and buy a carton of cooked white rice.
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A Water Bath
Custards without a thickener like flour or cornstarch need protection because heat toughens eggs; a water bath (also called a “bain-marie”) is the standard answer. Use a pan that’s significantly larger than the baking dish or set of ramekins you’ve chosen, but not one that looks like a swimming pool in comparison. We use a copper roasting pan, the same we’d use for a rib roast—but a 13 x 9-inch baking dish can also work.
There are two rules: (1) make sure the water going into the bath is just below the boil (too hot and it can shock the custard) and (2) remove the custards from the water bath the moment they’re set, remembering that both they and the water are very hot. Silicone baking gloves are particularly helpful here.
Some cooks put a thin kitchen towel in the large pan, setting the ramekins or baking dish on top, and then adding the hot water; the towel