Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd, What can't it do? Top toast? Check. Fill a cake? Yep, that too. Make the best damn pavlova ever? For sure.

I've been using it atop a warmed slice of the AP Bakery Fruit Cake as a great dessert or sweet breakfast slice.

What are the two issues with making Lemon Curd?

1 - How much can I make with the three lemons going soft in the back of my fridge? I don't know about you, but I buy way too many lemons thinking I'm going to be mixing up cocktails for the entire neighborhood. When in reality I wind up having a quiet drink at home alone. (No, I was never planning on a neighborhood's worth of drinks just for me. Stop looking at me that way.)

2 - Recipes that call for egg yolks only or some combination of yolks and whole eggs. I call shenanigans! I've been using whole eggs in my curd for as long as I can remember. The AP Bakery will not tolerate separating eggs or wasted whites when it isn't absolutely necessary.

I've modified and combined my favorite version of this recipe to it's minimal components, so no matter how many or few lemons you've got, you can still make up a batch of golden goodness. 

Let's get started.

Makes: 8 ounces per Curd Unit
Time: 15 minutes plus time for cooling

INGREDIENTS - For a single Curd Unit (CU)

1/4 cup LEMON JUICE
2 EGGS
1/2 cup SUGAR
2 tbsp BUTTER
1 pinch SALT
ZEST from ALL the lemons you are juicing (You really can't have too much zest. I don't know why recipes even mention an amount.)

​1 - ZEST all the lemons you are using in your curd and set aside.

2 - Combine the LEMON JUICE, SUGAR, EGGS, and SALT in a medium pot or saucier. Place over medium-low heat. Whisk gently. (No ridiculous double-boilers for us!)

3 - In a few minutes a foam will start to form. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temp. Continue whisking (total time about 8-11 minutes) gently all along the bottom and sides until the mixture reaches 170-180 F (76-82 C).

4 - Remove from heat. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (if super-smooth is your thing). Stir in all the ZEST and BUTTER in chunks until all the butter is integrated. Decant to canning jars or something with a tight lid and allow to cool to room temp. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

EAT!

Most of the time I have three or four lemons, so my standard batch is double (ie, 2 CUs). I've also tripled or singled many times. The cooking time will vary according to the number of CUs you are making.

​Pictured Below - Start and End of Cooking

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