Princess Pudding

Melt 65 g of butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan, add sugar, flour, lemon zest and juice from half a lemon, as well as seeds from a vanilla pod. Cook while stirring until the mixture becomes homogeneous and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.

In a separate pot, heat the milk. When it reaches boiling point, pour it into the butter sauce. Stir the dough with a large spoon and keep it on the heat for a while to dry out and turn into a smooth ball that doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Slightly cool down, then add the yolks one by one, mixing well each time.

Whip the egg whites to a stiff foam, then combine them with the batter (I always quickly fold in one spoon of whipped egg whites first, then the rest, so the texture will be airy).

Pour the batter into 12–16 small fireproof molds greased with butter. Bake in a water bath: place the molds in a baking tray with edges, pour boiling water from a kettle into it until it reaches the middle of the mold walls. Place in an oven preheated to 180 °C for 30–35 minutes: the batter should turn into a soufflé.

Remove the puddings onto a serving dish and serve warm with apple sauce or fresh fruits.