Lemon pudding: Comfort food for a November night

My mother used to make a pudding like this when I was young. I found the recipe recently in my copy of The Encyclopedia of World Cookery. Made from butter, sugar, milk, flour, eggs and lemons, this is not quite a souffle. The topping is spongey and the bottom like a custard. It's lemony, warming and lovely with double cream. The recipe I used yesterday is from Tamasin's Kitchen Bible - it's rather more luxurious than my original recipe. I have reduced the amount of sugar by 3 ounces. I know Tamasin Day-Lewis says she doesn't have a sweet tooth but I disagree - it's quite sweet enough with the amount of sugar I used. And of course they were our own eggs.

Tasmanian Lemon Pie

Serves 4-6 (in our case 4...)

110g/4oz butter softened
200g/7oz vanilla caster sugar
4 eggs, separated
4tbsp plain flour, sifted
400ml/14 fluid oz milk
grated rind and juice of 2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, then the flour and milk, a little at a time. Add the grated rind and juice of the lemons. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and add to the mixture, stirring in the first spoonful, then folding each subsequent spoonful lightly and quickly into the mixture to incorporate it as you would a souffle. Pour into a greased baking dish, so the mixture comes about 5cm/2in up the side of the dish. Cook in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, until slightly (or in my case more than slightly) brown on top and obviously set but faintly shuddery. Serve warm with cream.