Lemony, tart, sour, zesty, whatever you call it, lemon curd is delicious!
For those who might be thinking WTF is lemon curd?! No, it is not like cheese curds. Lemon curd is essentially the filling you find in a lemon bar or lemon meringue pie. It's a preserve with a thick consistency made from lemons, butter, eggs, and sugar.
It's also surprisingly easy to make.
So let's make some together.
Here's what you'll need:
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
2 tbsp lemon zest or zest of two lemons
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon juice minus one tablespoon, (100mL)
1/2 cup butter unsalted, cold
Instructions
Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
Zest the lemons.
Juice the lemons until you have about half a cup of lemon juice.
In a medium pot, lightly beat your egg yolks with a wire whisk. Whisk in the sugar and until lighter in color. Stir in the lemon juice gradually.
Heat on low, while stirring constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens, starts to bubble, and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove the pot from heat, then add the cold, cubed butter and mix until melted.
Strain the final mixture to remove any bits of zest, etc. (optional) The final curd should be silky and smooth.
Transfer the curd to an airtight container. Make sure to cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming.
Notes
Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor. I don't recommend using bottled lemon juice of any kind as it'll be far too acidic and will ruin the flavor.
You'll know the curd is ready when it noticeably thickens in consistency and coats the back of a spoon.
Don't stop whisking the curd until it's off of the heat or the eggs will scramble and make your curd.
If you don't have a very low setting on your stove, use a double boiler to avoid overcooking the eggs.
The curd will thicken as it cools and it's important to cool it completely before using it.
The curd will keep in the fridge for about 1 week or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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