Lemon Custard

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We are a family of lemon lovers. Years ago this recipe was the filling for a lemon custard pie. It was unusual because it used buttermilk and sour cream to produce a tang that couldn't be attributed simply to lemon. As time passed and calories became a consideration, I simply did away with the crust and cooked the filling as I would a lemon pudding. We still love the dessert. It is easy to do and very much like an old-fashioned lemon pudding that has a layer of cake topped with a layer of custard. It requires no additional sauce because the top layer is so creamy. I do use a bit of zested lemon to garnish the cake. If you're fussy, you can blanch and candy the zest. I don't bother because this is meant to be a reasonably quick treat for family and close friends. I do like to serve these with macerated blue or black berries.Here's the recipe.

Lemon Custard...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
6 large eggs, separated
Grated zest and juice of 3 large lemons
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup reduced-fat buttermilk
1 cup light sour cream
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zested lemon strips for garnish

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat 8 1-cup molds or 2 9 x 2-inch flan pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Place egg yolks in bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat until they are pale yellow. Add zest. Slowly add lemon juice, beating to incorporate.
3) Add sugar and flour and beat slowly until incorporated. Reduce speed and add milk, buttermilk and sour cream, beating to incorporate. Set aside.
4) In a separate large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold whites into egg yolk mixture.
5) Fill prepared molds with batter. Place in a large roasting pan. Transfer to center rack of oven. Pour boiling water into pan until it comes halfway up sides of molds. Bake until cake tester inserted into center of molds comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. Carefully remove pan from oven, but do not remove molds from pan. Allow water to cool to room temperature. Unmold and chill before serving. Garnish with zested lemon strips. Yield: 8 1-cup molds or 2 9-inch flans.