Homemade Lemon Curd (Printable version)
Silky, tangy lemon curd with fresh zest, butter, and eggs - ideal for scones, tarts, or toast.
# Ingredient list:
→ Fruit & Juice
01 - 3 large lemons, zest finely grated and juiced (about 1/2 cup juice)
→ Dairy
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
→ Eggs
03 - 3 large eggs
04 - 1 large egg yolk
→ Sugar
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
# Directions:
01 - In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until thoroughly blended and smooth.
02 - Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water surface.
03 - Add the cubed butter to the bowl and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
04 - Remove the bowl from heat and pour the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing through to remove any cooked egg bits or zest clumps.
05 - Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving for optimal texture.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It transforms four basic ingredients into something that tastes like it came from a specialty shop.
- The double boiler method sounds fancy but is honestly harder to mess up than most stovetop sauces.
02 -
- If even a splash of water gets into your bowl from the simmering pan below, the curd can turn grainy and refuse to thicken properly.
- Straining is not optional if you want that perfectly smooth texture because tiny scrambled egg fragments are almost invisible until you bite into one.
03 -
- Use a silicone whisk because metal can sometimes leave a faint off flavor with acidic mixtures over heat.
- If you want an even richer result, swap all the whole eggs for six yolks and enjoy a curd that spreads like velvet.