Lemon Toddy Pudding Cake

A storm is rolling in. And in between exams and presentations and talks, all i can think about right now is how the smell of the rain just before, during, and just afterwards is such a familiar and welcome smell. The winds are picking up and the trees with their still green leaves are rustling. it sounds reminiscent of the ocean waves hitting the shore. and it makes me want to go away from here and be near the water. i think i was born to be along the coast. i would die to hike along the shore and bike the winding roads and sit on the beaches just to watch the sun rise or set and hear the water.

A monstrous gust of wind blew a sheet of rain downwards. it's going to be an awesome storm... if/when it ever comes. the giant storms of the midwest! i love how they announce their presence with rolling claps of thunder and monstrous lightning. in the daytime, you can see the sky change. the wind picks up and you can smell it in the air. when the temperature drops, then you know you're in for a big storm, and you see along the horizon, the front line of the clouds rolling in. One time, i had to go and pay the vet at the clinic for pet sitting for me. a massive storm was coming. and you could feel it in your bones. the winds picked up to 40+mph and on the western horizon came the line of clouds. an army of angry rain clouds that looked like they wanted to drown you with their sorrows. it was beautiful. only because i made it into the car as the first drops of a torrential downpour began to splash down. driving was impossible so i just sat in the car. and waited til i couldn't wait anymore (meaning about 2 minutes). and i rushed home as fast as i could before the underpasses were flash flooded. funnel clouds were spotted, and the storm ended. boring boring boring... but so beautiful.

So, on to food. What is a toddy? so, according to wikipedia, a toddy is a hot drink, usually containing alcohol-- that you drink before going to bed... and/or in wet, cold weather.

A traditional Scottish recipe for a toddy goes as follows: pour whisky (a shot or so) into a mug and add boiling water. add a spoonful of honey or sugar, half a lemon slice, some cloves and a cinnamon stick and let brew for 3-5 min.

sounds delicious... in pudding cake form! this cake was slightly modified as i didn't have any whisky... i substituted it with some amaretto.... a sad replacement... but it was all i had.

Lemon (Toddy) Pudding Cake

recipe modified from here

1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Scotch (i wish i had scotch... used amaretto instead... sadders)
1/2 stick butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons mild honey
1-2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a shallow dish.
• Whisk together soy milk, lemon juice, amaretto, butter, honey, zest, salt and egg yolks, then stir in flour.
• Beat whites until they start to get frothy, then add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time while beating, until whites just hold stiff peaks
  
• Stir some of the meringue into flour mixture to lighten the mix and gently fold in the remaining whites. Transfer to your dish and bake (in a water bath) until the top is set and golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

Something about the texture of this cake was a little bit off. maybe it was the use of soy instead of regular milk... or maybe it was the smallish size of the eggs i used... the flavor was marvelous! the slight sweetness from the amaretto and the amazing lemony flavor!!!! i just wish it was more... cakey on top and more gooey on the inside. maybe my baking dish wasn't right... maybe i should have whisked it better... but all i can think about when the lemon and the milk is mixed is how much it curdles.

maybe next time, i'll try it again with regular milk. and see if i can get the texture and consistency to be... smooth and creamy... so i can relaly enjoy it. with a splash of whisky... and maybe a real toddy on the side. :-)

in the mean time, here is a caterpillar. he's eating so he can turn into a big beautiful butterfly!





eat and grow!