WINTER SUPPERS - back to easy desserts

I am not really a dessert person.

It took me a while to be polite enough to eat the busy creamy French patisserie at dinner parties here. I await spring and its simple strawberry and raspberry tarts with melt in the mouth pastry.

In France it's almost considered a little hokey to make your own desserts...the trend is more towards buying some fabulously expensive ornamental cake from the patisserie for your guests. When I first arrived in Bordeaux I remember a rather bordelaise woman saying " oh how charming she has made her own dessert"...the dripping condescending sarcasm did not  go over my head. I still make my own desserts.

We are having our usual Sunday Chicken today replete with roasted potatoes and green beans. I have made my mother's Lemon Soufflé which I will serve chilled. My children adore this light lemony dessert...It's also a lovely end to a heavy evening meal after entrée, main course, cheese etc etc......

Soothing Lemon Souflé, circa 1954

2 tablespoons butter, salted

1 cup sugar

Rind and juice of two lemons, well washed

2 cups milk

4 eggs separated

Cream sugar and butter. Add yolks, lemon rind, juice, milk. Beat well.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture.

Bake 45 - 50 minutes standing in a dish of water.

For a dinner party I add home made lemon sorbet and fold in rose petals...