Cut the lemons in quarters, leaving them intact at the bottom by the stem. As you place the lemons in the jar, squeeze the juice out into the jar each time. Stuff the lemon in the jar and cover with 1-2 tablespoons of salt. Continue in the same way until you have filled the jar with the lemons, juice, and salt. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, and peppercorns.
Allow jar to sit at room temp for 6 weeks to 2 months before opening.
Budino in Italian means pudding but this is more like a molten cake, moist and almost gooey in the middle when served warm from the oven. I like to serve the budino with a scoop of homemade Banana Chocolate-Chunk Ice Cream (in my cookbook, Cooking From the Hip), but it's also great with creme anglaise and fresh raspberries or strawberries.
