Cookbook:Lemon Curd
Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes | Dessert
Lemon Curd | |
---|---|
Category | Dessert recipes |
Servings | 1 full 12-ounce jar |
Time | 15 - 20 minutes |
Difficulty |
Lemon curd is a custard-like dessert sauce made with eggs, lemon juice and zest, sugar, and butter.
This recipe will produce one full 12-ounce (330g) jar of lemon curd (similar to but not the same as lemon pie filling), plus a little left over so you can lick the bowl. Lemon curd keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator. It is excellent on shortbread, biscuits, scones, and English muffins.
EquipmentEdit
- 1-quart saucepan
- whisk
- measuring cup
- grater or zester
- medium to large strainer of fine-to-medium mesh
- rubber spatula
- 1-quart kitchen bowl
- 12-ounce (about 330g) jar with sealable lid
IngredientsEdit
- ½ cup (120ml) lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
- ⅓ cup (80g) sugar
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (60 ml)
- Pinch of salt (optional, to bring out sweetness and flavor of finished product)
ProcedureEdit
- Grate the lemon rinds to produce two tablespoons of zest. Grate only the yellow zest, avoid the inner white pith which is bitter.
- Cut the butter into small chunks.
- Put eggs, zest, sugar, and salt into sauce pan.
- Whisk ingredients in pan till frothy and light in color (a minute or two).
- Add lemon juice and whisk 30 seconds.
- Add butter chunks.
- Set pan on stove burner, turn on heat to medium-to-low, and start whisking contents so they don't coagulate or stick to bottom of pan.
- Whisk constantly till butter melts and mixture thickens, then whisk another two minutes, but do not let mixture boil. It should be quite steamy (185°F / 85°C).
- Optional: Remove zest with the strainer over a mixing bowl and pouring the mixture through. Then work the mixture through the strainer with the spatula to strain out the zest and any egg lumps; rake mixture off bottom of strainer into bowl.
- Pour mixture from bowl into jar to within ¼ inch (0.75cm) from top, taking care not to get mixture on rim, then seal jar with lid.
- Refrigerate to thicken the product further.