How to Make Lemon Curd

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Lemon Curd can only be described a nectar for the gods. One of the easiest basic pastry techniques, this sweet and tart intensely flavored curd can easily be made in less than 30 minutes. Used as a topping, a spread or a filling for cakes and tarts, the uses are only up to your imagination.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dessert, Filling, Pastry

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lemon filling, Quick and easy, spread

Servings: cups

Calories: 937kcal

Author: Helen S Fletcher

Ingredients

1 tablespoon water
1 ½ teaspoon gelatin, optional
2 large eggs
3 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup unsalted butter, cold (114 grams or 1 stick)

Instructions

Dissolve the gelatin in the water. Stir to combine completely. Set aside.
Place the eggs and yolks in a medium size bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Strain it into the top of a double boiler.
Cut the cold butter into 6 to 8 pieces. Add it to the egg mixture in the pan.
Place over gently boiling water and, stirring constantly, heat to 172°F on a thermometer.
Tear the gelatin into small pieces and add it directly to the hot curd. The heat will melt the gelatin. Whisk to incorporate it.
Cover the surface directly with film and let it cool to room temperature.
Store it in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for longer storage.
Yield: 1 ⅔ cups

Notes

It's foolproof!

At the bakery, I found that 172°F was the optimum temperature to which the curd should be taken. No guessing, no coating the back of a spoon, just a temperature. Since this recipes doesn't need the zest of the lemon for it's amazing flavor, there is no straining at the end.

The curd is easy to make. Everything goes in the pot at once. I don’t recommend making this over direct heat as even at the lowest heat, the eggs may scramble making little lumps that don’t come out. The gentle heat of low boiling water not touching the pan keeps the eggs from scrambling. Ten minutes of prep, to minutes of stirring – done!

The flavor is amazing with just the right amount of tartness

Lemon curd is a building block in pastry and can be used in many different ways including tarts, pies, cakes, cookies, as fillings or on its own.

It uses only 5 ingredients for an incredibly bold flavor to be used anywhere curd is called for.

Don't be tempted to use bottled lemon juice, it won't taste the same as fresh squeezed.

If you don't have a double boiler, place a tight fitting bowl over the pan beneath.

Use a very small bowl to soften the gelatin. If the bowl is too big, the water will spread out and the gelatin will not be able to absorb it.

Do not put the curd mixture in an aluminum or copper pan or bowl at any point. It can become discolored and have a metallic taste to it.

Add cold butter to the egg mixture just before placing it over the double boiler. The cold will allow the eggs to heat up slowly, which is also the reason the water is kept at a low boil. If cooked too long or at too high a heat the eggs will set causing a lumpy curd.

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