Lemon Lime Pudding Cake Cups

Who knew planting trees could be so controversial?  The people of my neighborhood are, well, interesting some times.  A local high school decided to make a service project out of planting trees along our street.  How wonderful!  Or, at least one would think.  My two next door neighbors are adamantly opposed to this kind gesture, and I had the unfortunate luck of being home and outside today when they decided it was time to recruit me to their anti-tree party.  These neighbors are generally nice people, a little on the crabby side, but we do cut them some slack for being of a few generations before us.  I might be a bit crabby too after 50 years of listening to the teenagers skateboarding down the street.  But, planting trees?!  Can't we all agree that this is going to add value to the neighborhood?  Won't shaded sidewalks be nice to walk down in the heat of the summer?  Haven't studies shown that tree-lined streets have less crime?  Isn't it just plain nice to look out your window and see a tree rather than just cars and cement? Apparently, not everyone agrees.  I witnessed our mother-earth loving neighbor across the street interacting with my two crabby side neighbors, and let me tell you, it was a sight to see. The conversation went something like this, "Aren't we lucky to have people giving us a beautiful piece of nature?"  "Lucky?  You call having to sweep more leaves, lucky?  Let me see how lucky you feel when the roots are lifting up the sidewalk, and the sap is dripping onto your shiny new car.  We'd be lucky if these people would leave us alone."   "Oh no, no, we can now have leaves putting nitrogen back into the soil, and shade for our yards and houses.  It's going to be so beautiful."  This was about the time I decided to excuse myself and go in to make my lemon lime pudding cakes.  I could observe the rest of the scene play out from my kitchen window.  What was the result?  A tree in front of my house, the house across the street, but not either house next door.  Oh well, there will be some shade and beauty, and, as consolation for me, the lemon lime pudding cakes were divine!  But, I'm only sharing them with my across the street neighbor...

Recipe from www.bbcgoodfood.com, simply called Lemon Lime Puds
Serves 4         
NOTE: This recipe is in weights rather than measures.  You will need a scale!

50g butter
200g golden caster sugar
1 lemon , zested
1 lime , zested
50ml lemon juice
50ml lime juice
3 eggs , separated
50g all purpose flour
250ml milk

Ready in 45 minutes


1.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, sugar and lemon and lime zest together in a mixer. Add juices, egg yolks, flour and milk one by one to make a smooth batter. Pour into a large bowl.


2.Whisk egg whites until firm - fold into the batter. Pour into 4 buttered ovenproof dishes and put in a baking tray half filled with hot water. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned and set.