Grand Marnier Steamed Pudding

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter six four-ounce ramekins. Dust each with sugar, shaking out any excess.

2. In a small bowl, mix sugar with flour and orange zest. In a large bowl, lightly beat egg yolks, and stir in buttermilk and Grand Marnier/orange juice mixture.

3. Whip egg whites until softly peaked. Whisk sugar mixture into buttermilk mixture. Fold in beaten egg whites in thirds. Spoon batter into prepared containers. Place in a baking pan, and add hot water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover pan completely with foil.

4. Bake about 15 minutes, until batter begins to puff. Remove foil, and bake another 15 minutes or so, until tops begin to brown and are springy to touch. A little cracking is fine. (Do not overbake. The runny pudding part is yummy!)

5. Remove from oven. Let cool just a few minutes. Remove ramekins to a wire rack. Serve warm. If you make the pudding in advance, allow it to cool to room temperature, and then reheat in a warm water bath when ready to serve. If desired, top with whipped cream and orange zest.