Lemon Curd. I know… the name, like so many British food names, doesn’t exactly make you want to run out and say “give me some of that!” The name Lemon Curd, like Sticky Toffee Pudding and Spotted Dick—two other really great British desserts—are stuck with deceptive names. Originally, in the 1800’s, Lemon Curd was made a little differently than it is today and using the word “curd” or “cheese” made more sense. But today, this bright lemon dessert has evolved into a creamy, buttery, tangy and sweet spread. I think it is the closest to the filling of the lemon bars we have in America although Lemon Meringue pie filling is also very similar. The difference is the butter. Doesn’t butter always make the difference?!
The Brits may need someone to do some rebranding to appeal to the American palate, but they don’t need to change one thing in this lemon dessert. It can be served by itself, topped with whipped cream, spread between the layers of cake, slathered onto scones or biscuits, sprinkled with blueberries, served as a topper for waffles, ice cream, or spooned straight from the pan because you cannot wait. It’s a great addition to a brunch table. It makes wonderful gifts served in cute little jars from your local craft store and it freezes very well. What’s not to like!
We make lemon curd fresh at London Calling and spoon it inside our house made buttery crust and press it into a mini dessert pasty. It rivals our fresh vanilla custard mini dessert pasty as a top seller. If you have these 5 simple ingredients (lemons, butter, eggs, salt, & sugar) and 20 minutes (plus cooling time) you can taste homemade lemon curd at it’s finest. The recipe below will show you just how simple making lemon curd at home can be. For a quick step by step video click here. Note that I did not use a double boiler in the video (which can keep it from scalding) but I did whisk it constantly at a medium heat with great success. If you make this recipe please let me know how it goes for you and how you used it!
London Calling Lemon Curd (Adapted from Ina Garten)
Equipment
- 1 Small Saucepan You can use a double boiler if you prefer.
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Measuring Spoons
- 1 Measuring cups
- 1 Lemon Juicer, Squeezer or a Fork
- 1 Small Sieve
- 1 Small container for finished lemon curd
- 1 Spoon for tasting
- 1 Small Bowl For whisking the eggs
- 1 Zester or the fine side of a cheese grater
Ingredients
- 4 Large Eggs, Whole whisked together
- 1 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Lemon Zest (about 1 lemon)
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (about 3 lemons)
- 1/8th Teaspoon Salt
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened (cut into 8 pieces)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the butter into the saucepan. Stir until blended. Turn on the heat to medium, place the saucepan on the heat and whisk constantly until the lemon curd thickens to the consistency of hollandaise sauce or coats the back of a spoon. If you are using a thermometer, the curd will thicken at about 170 degrees. This should take about 10 minutes. The curd at this point, will not be at the final thickness. Cooling makes the curd thicker. If it is not thickening, turn up the heat a bit and continue to whisk constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and continue to whisk until the butter is incorporated. Pour the lemon curd into a heat proof jar or container. Cool for a minimum of 1 hour. My suggestion is to spoon it over vanilla ice cream or frozen vanilla custard and top with blueberries but if you are feeling particularly British, make some British scones and top them with clotted cream and your homemade lemon curd and have a spot of tea. Refrigerate the curd for up to 7 days. It can also be frozen with great success. Just thaw it overnight.