Lemon Curd

My little jars of sunshine. I love the refreshing taste/smell of lemons. Never fails to perk me up. Lemon curd is one of the first few stuffs I made when I started picking up baking again. Last I made, I had lemon curd tarts with it. I was extremely pleased with the recipe I found at Joy of Baking. The ingredients used are really simple too. Just eggs, sugar, lemon and butter. The cooking time doesn't take that long. Which reminds me; why our kaya jam takes so long to cook?

To ensure getting a creamy texture, I strained the eggs after whisking it. I also strained the lemon juice to get rid of the pulps. Double-boiling method is used so as to prevent curdling. However, I received a tip from a friend. When hers curdled, she poured the entire batch after adding butter and blend it in a food processor. After that, she mixed in the lemon zest. I have not tried this method personally, I hope this tip might help to salvage any curdled batch. It is a pity to dump it in the trash.

Sharing this recipe which I have reduced sugar to suit my family's palate. This time round, I doubled the recipe. You can halve this recipe for a smaller batch. The curd will keep well in the refrigerator for a week.

Lemon Curd
Ingredients
6 Eggs, whisked and strained
250g Fresh Lemon Juice, strained
230g Fine Sugar
120g Unsalted Butter, cubed, bring to room temperature
Zest of 6 Lemons

Method
1) In mixing bowl (use either stainless steel or glass), add in eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Using double-boiling method, whisk the mixture constantly.

2) Continue to whisk till mixture looks pale and starts to thicken. At this stage, the whisk will leave a mark on the curd. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter till incorporated, Add in the lemon zest and mix well.

3) Cut up a large sandwich bag and press onto the surface of the curd to avoid a layer of film from forming. Leave aside to cool through before storing.

*Note : I cut up a sandwich bag to cover the curd as Terri advised against using cling wrap for health reasons.

**Note : The texture should not be too runny.

***Note : Zest the lemons before juicing them.

****Note : After juicing the lemons, do not throw them away. They can be used to scrub the grease off your stove, cabinets or oven.

Lemon curd can be eaten with scones, use like jam or swissroll filling. It can also be used to make lemon curd tart, lemon meringue tart or lemon curd ice cream. I used it for cheesecake too. Well, that is another story.

Later~~ ^_^

PS. : I took this picture at the common balcony outside my flat and found my neighbour staring at me. Maybe she thought I was out of my mind.