connie's lemon pudding

This is another lovely recipe I learned from my mom. Recently, I've realized that this is essentially lemon curd. But who wants to eat "curd" when you can eat pudding? "Pudding" speaks of childhood, of stove-top treats poured from a box long ago. "Curd" is just a weird four-letter word. It's the new year, and I'm closing in on my last few months of teenagerism. Let me eat my pudding before I'm old.

Tirade of vocabulary and quarter-life crisis complete.

I'm a citrus fanatic, so I prefer my pudding almost bracingly tart. If you like yours a little sweeter, up the sugar to 1 cup. This recipe is frighteningly simple, but it does takes a little time. The lemon pudding is indeed a labor of love.

Oh, and happy new year!

LEMON PUDDING

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbs flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice plus the pulp, if you can get it

1/4 cup water

1. In a skillet off the heat, beat the two eggs. Add the sugar, flour, and salt and beat until very well combined. Finally, beat in the baking powder. The mixture may foam up a little--this is normal.

2. Put the skillet over medium-low heat and add the lemon juice, then the water, stirring vigorously. It is very important to keep the mixture moving, lest you get lemony scrambled eggs. (Foam is still okay.)

3. For a few minutes, continue to stir steadily until the mixture just barely begins to boil. At this point, you will see that the mixture turns from a "cloudy" yellow to a "clear" bright yellow. It's done.

4. Divide the pudding into ramekins, or pour off into a bowl. Allow to cool, then refrigerate. Best if served chilled.

Fills 8 small ramekins.