Cooking with Barbara
Lemon Custard Pudding Cake
By BARBARA WALKER-HUFF Sentinel Guest Writer

I just returned from Italy with my two grandchildren. I had not been to Sorrento in my previous travels. The city is best know for the lemons they grow there. Every farm has an orchard of lemon trees; some lemons are as big as grapefruit. They have the streets lined with lemon trees but warned us not to eat them because of the pollution there. Every restaurant had all kinds of dishes made with lemons. We got to taste a lemon liqueur called "crema di limoncello" - it was delicious and would be wonderful over ice cream.

Speaking of lemons, it made me remember a wonderful recipe I got back in the late 1940s. I found it and my children loved it. I gave it to one of the best cooks around, Virginia Phillips, owner of "Hair Villa". We usually talk food while she does my hair. She said it was one of the best desserts she has made in a long time and passed it on. So here it is:

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

6 tablespoons butter or margarine (melted)

2 cups sugar - divided 4 eggs separated 1 1/2 cups milk grated peel of one lemon 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Confectioner's sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat egg yolks and add to above mixture along with milk and lemon peel. Mix well. Add lemon juice.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Slowly add remaining 1/2 cup sugar while beating. Pour into a 2 quart greased baking dish or individual ramekins.

Place in a shallow pan of hot water and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or chilled with confectioner's sugar dusted on top. Absolutely delicious!