Lemon Pudding with Custard

Start by making the snow pudding. Stir gelatin into cold water in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in hot water, sugar, and lemon zest and juice until sugar has dissolved. Set bowl in an ice bath and stir often until mixture is cold and thickened (consistency will be similar to that of raw egg whites), about 45 minutes.

Beat gelatin mixture with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until very frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat whites until they hold soft peaks.

Add whites to gelatin mixture and beat at high speed until tripled in volume and thick enough to form a wide flat ribbon that holds its shape on top of mixture when beater is lifted, about 5 minutes (longer if using a hand-held mixer). Transfer to a large serving bowl and chill until set, about 3 hours.

Next make the custard while the snow pudding sets. Bring milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Let steep, covered, 30 minutes.

Put yolks in a small bowl. Strain milk mixture through a sieve into another bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding basil, and return to saucepan. Whisk about 1/2 cup warm milk mixture into yolks, then whisk into remaining milk in saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer and set aside.

Remove the dispenser from the box including the charger holder and two dispenser tips. Unscrew the top off the dispenser, then screw on the tip of your choice (straight or tulip) while holding in place the valve stem under the cap. Be sure to screw the tip on tightly. Make sure that the gasket (also called the O-ring) is firmly in place on the underside of the head.

Pour the custard liquid into the dispenser. Do not exceed recommended amount. Screw the top evenly and firmly onto the bottle. Do not cross-thread. Place a n2o cartridge in the holder with the small end visible. Twist charger holder onto head until gas is released. A slight hissing sound will be heard. For a pint dispenser, use only one charger per filling. For a quart dispenser, use two chargers per filling. Put the dispenser in the fridge to cool it for 1 hour to allow the custard to set.

Shake the dispenser 3-6 times. Turn the dispenser upside down. This is important, otherwise gas will escape and a proportionate amount of foam will not be released. To assemble the dessert, spoon snow pudding into bowls and top with custard sauce dispensed into each bowl as needed by pressing on the lever. If the mixture is too runny, shake the dispenser a few more times and try again. If desired, the holder can be removed along with the used charger and the small cap put in its place.