Tricks of the trade

Two desserts in one:

Essentially a type of pudding cake, the magic of this dessert is that as the pudding bakes, the airy, whipped egg whites that were folded into the thin batter rise to the top to create a cakelike top texture, while the bottom layer retains a soft, puddinglike texture.

Pucker power:

Yes, you have a doubly tart combination of lemon juice and buttermilk, but the dairy’s fat content helps soften the tartness to create a more rounded flavor and assist with the pudding’s lovely texture.

No splash zone:

Baking custards and puddings in a hot water bath, also known as a bain marie, helps to distribute the oven’s heat gently and more evenly. This helps keep the pudding from being rubbery, or worse, curdling the eggs. To keep the water from sloshing around and potentially ruining your pudding, place the filled casserole dish in the larger baking dish, place on the oven rack and then fill with water. Use only enough water to come halfway up the sides of the casserole. Adding more than that also risks splashing water into the pudding.

Gussy it up:

Perfectly delightful on its own, at the restaurant the baked pudding is garnished with creme Anglaise and huckleberry sauce. Any seasonal berry sauce — raspberry, strawberry, blueberry or blackberry — will make a lovely addition.