New England Raisin Pudding Dessert Recipe with Lemon Zest

This pudding is an old New England favorite. The lemon sauce gives the pudding a light and nicely sweet taste. The raisins are optional, and cinnamon can be used in place of the nutmeg if you prefer.

Ingredients:

• 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened and divided
• 1 C sugar, divided
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 1 large egg, beaten well
• 1 1/2 C flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 C milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. lemon zest, grated
• 1 C cold water
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 C raisins

Directions:

Allow the oven to preheat to 350 degrees and butter the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan. Place 8 Tbsp. of the butter into a mixing bowl and beat on low speed until fluffy. Beat in 1/2 C of sugar and the heavy cream for 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until thoroughly blended in.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture and stir until blended well. Stir in the vanilla. Pour the pudding into the buttered baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until firm and slightly cracked on top.

Place the remaining sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest into a saucepan. Pour the water into the pan and stir to combine. Place the pan over medium high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Adjust the heat to medium low and, stirring constantly, cook for 5 minutes or until thick. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and butter, stirring until the butter melts. Sprinkle in the nutmeg and raisins and stir to combine. Pour the sauce over the baked pudding before serving. Makes 4 servings.