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Gluten Free

PROOF IN THE PUDDING
MAGIC LEMON PUDDING {GLUTEN AND DAIRY FREE RECIPE}

February 15, 2020 By Deborah Dal Fovo 2 Comments

magic lemon pudding on blue plate

Once in a blue moon, I come across a recipe that surprises me. This Magic Lemon Pudding is one of those. When my food writing mentor and friend, Tori Ritchie, posted a genius recipe for Lemon Meringue Pudding on her blog, I was intrigued. She found it in her mother’s recipe box and it was an oldie-but-goodie dessert that her family enjoyed for decades. Not only did the vintage recipe’s name pique my curiosity (after all, who doesn’t love the taste and textures of lemon meringue pie), but the easy, breezy one-bowl batter that magically transforms in the oven into a multi-layer dessert with silky lemon curd layer and spongy cake topping made my mouth water. I had to try it—only there was a slight problem. The recipe called for milk and flour in addition to Meyer lemons, sugar, and eggs. I’ve been avoiding gluten and dairy for health concerns and this recipe was theoretically a no-no. But I’ve always hated the word “no” and was determined to have my pudding and eat it too. So, into kitchen I went to try and adapt the recipe to be both gluten-free and dairy-free.

magic lemon pudding testing

Developing recipes is like playing mad scientist. You add a little of this, less of that, a pinch of something else until—presto, you get it right. The alchemist in me loves to fiddle with recipes because I never know what will happen along the way. That’s exactly how this went. After posting a photo of my first test pudding on Instagram, I got a comment from a woman saying it was her favorite childhood dessert too—only her mother’s English recipe was called Lemon Delicious. Hmmmm, I thought, let me investigate this further. After some research, I found an (almost) identical baked lemon pudding recipe that was popular in Britain and Australia decades ago but also contained butter. The recipe plot just thickened! What at first glance seemed to be an easy adaptation suddenly turned into a whole other pudding—I had just gone down the recipe writing rabbit hole ; )

magic lemon pudding batter

Like the Rolling Stone’s song “I can’t get no satisfaction”, gluten-free recipe adaptations seldom taste or behave like their wheat-containing predecessors. Especially in baking, where the gluten in wheat flour thickens and binds ingredients in a way non-wheat flours don’t. For that reason, a thickening agent like tapioca, potato flour, or cornstarch is added to gluten-free flour. Then there’s the substititution of the milk. I’ve tried many non-dairy plant-based milks like almond, coconut, and cashew but don’t get the same satisfaction (there’s that “s” word again) that cows’ milk gives me—with the happy exception of oat milk. Oat milk’s creamy consistency and neutral flavor makes it more similar to cows’ milk than nut milk, without adding extra flavor. I also chose oat flour to sub in for the wheat flour to keep the taste uniform and because I find it performs well in gluten-free baking.

magic lemon pudding bain-marie

The beauty of this Magic Lemon Pudding is that the batter is quick and easy to whip up in one bowl before pouring into a single baking dish or individual ramekins. That means less clean up (don’t we all love that?). First, I beat my egg whites in a squeaky-clean mixing bowl until light and fluffy then slide them into a smaller bowl while I use the same, unwashed mixing bowl to mix the other ingredients before gently folding the egg whites back in. This gives the batter its airiness, which—when baked in a bain-marie—causes it to rise like a cake and (I suspect) magically separate into layers. Beating the egg yolks with cornstarch and sugar until creamy before adding the zest, lemon juice, oat milk, and oat flour separately insures that each ingredient blends smoothly for a lump-free pudding. It’s worthwhile to use Meyer lemons—a hybrid of citron and mandarin orange—whose golden skin adds beautiful color and sweet juices a delicate lemon flavor without the tartness.

magic lemon pudding close up

After all my testing, the proof was (literally) in the pudding. Just like Goldilocks, I tested—and tasted—each variation of the original recipe. One was too soft, one too stiff, another too lumpy, until finally—one was just right! The batter made with oat milk, oat flour, and cornstarch separated beautifully into a golden lid of spongy soufflé-like cake that, when pierced with a spoon, revealed a luscious lemony pudding beneath—just like the original recipe. I’m not sure how it happens but it’s so magical that I’m calling my gluten-free and dairy-free recipe: Magic Lemon Pudding. If you’re a lemon lover like me, this recipe will become a favorite of yours too!


GLUTEN-FREE & DAIRY FREE
MAGIC LEMON PUDDING

Created by Deborah Dal Fovo on February 7, 2020

magic pudding on blue plate 2 I renamed this recipe Magic Lemon Pudding because the easy breezy, one-bowl batter magically transforms in the oven into a multi-layer dessert with silky lemon curd layer and souffle-like cake topping. My gluten-free and dairy-free recipe is adapted from Tori Ritchie’s Tuesday Recipe for Lemon Meringue Pudding. ©2020 Deborah Dal Fovo. All rights reserved.

  • Prep Time: 15m
  • Cook Time: 40m
  • Serves: 6
  • Category: Baked Goods, Baking, Dairy Free, Desserts - Dolci, Gluten Free, Recipes

Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter, for greasing baking dish/es
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup/150 g granulated white or cane sugar
  • Grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon (regular lemon can be substituted)
  • 1/3 cup/80 ml Meyer or regular lemon juice
  • 1 cup/240 ml gluten-free oat milk, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup/25 g gluten-free oat flour
  • Powdered sugar to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Bring a kettle of water to boil.
  2. Grease an 8-inch glass baking dish (or six 1-cup ramekins) with butter. Select a larger baking dish or roasting pan that the baking dish/ramekins will comfortably fit into with space around to create a bain-marie.
  3. Separate the eggs and place egg whites and a pinch of salt into the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Beat egg whites on medium speed until thick and frothy then increase speed and beat until they hold stiff (but not dry) peaks. Using a spatula, scrape the mounted egg whites into a separate bowl and set aside.
  4. Place the egg yolks and cornstarch in the mixer bowl (without washing it or the whisk attachment) and beat briefly until smooth. With the machine running, add the sugar in increments and beat until mixture is pale and creamy.
  5. Add the zest and lemon juice and mix to combine then pour in the oat milk and mix well.
  6. Add the oat flour and beat briefly until smoothly incorporated without overworking.
  7. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the lemon batter. Add another third of the egg whites, incorporating well without deflating batter, then fold in remaining whites until batter is smooth and airy.
  8. Pour batter into greased baking dish/es and place in the larger pan. Position pan in the center of oven rack and carefully pour boiling water from the kettle into outer pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of inner dish/es. Bake until golden brown on top, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly, then spoon the pudding into dessert bowls, dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm.
Source: Deborah Dal Fovo
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Filed Under: Baking, Dairy Free, Desserts - Dolci, Gluten Free, Recipes

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magic lemon pudding on blue plate

PROOF IN THE PUDDING
MAGIC LEMON PUDDING {GLUTEN AND DAIRY FREE RECIPE}

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