Great expectations

The very first time I baked a batch of Lemon Bars my whole family was hugely disappointed with the end result. My mom swore to have them envisioned as something light and spongy, whereas the desert I came up with was dense and settled on a crispy, pre-baked crust. Good, but still quite far from everyone's expectations! It wasn't until this past week when at last I managed to find a recipe which has successfully covered for the previous misunderstanding. Commonly known as a Bird's Milk, it's just the kind of treat you should expect from such an ethereal name... And yes, it pretty much keeps up with the pastel trend as well!

Lemon Bird's Milk:

For the sponge cake base:

4 large eggs (whites and yolks seperately)

4 tablespoons flour, sifted with 1/2 tespoon baking powder

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

a small pinch of salt

Line bottom of a 24cm springform pan with a parchment paper.Beat the egg whites with salt and sugar until stiff, then add the egg yolks and mix until fully incorporated. Gently fold the sifted flour into the egg mixture. Bake in the oven preheated to 180°C, until lightly golden. Leave to cool.

For the filling:

1 can unsweetened condensed milk

2 packets lemon flavored gelatin

2 cups of water

Dissolve the flavored gelatin in two cups of boiling water. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer into a large mixing bowl along with the condensed milk, and beat until slightly thickened and frothy. Immediately pour it onto the prepared sponge cake base and smooth the top as evenly as possible. Pop into the firdge for at least an hour, so that it can set completely.

Tip#1 You can decorate it with just about anything that suits your mood, although I'd sincerely recommend something spring-forward!

Tip#2 Bird's Milk can easily be prepared with other gelatin flavours. I already have a strawberry version on my mind, with some fresh fruits arranged on top!