Try Something New: Lemon Curd

I have never heard of lemon curd before today. I was cruising the updates in my blog list and i found this recipe. I had to Google just what lemon curd is. Turns out, it is like lemon pie filling...now that i can handle! I found the recipe on a blog called swEEts by e. I had been thinking of making applesauce tonight, as i used up the last bit this morning in my oatmeal, but i decided to pick up a couple of lemons on my way home and make this instead. It is extremely easy, and delicious!

Lemon Curd.



3 eggs.
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice. (I needed 2 lemons)
1 TBS lemon zest.
3/4 cup sugar.
4 TBS butter.

Whisk eggs, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan.
Over medium heat, cook until mixture thickens and reaches 160 F with candy thermometer (about 10 minutes)
Remove from heat and sieve for lumps.
Cut butter into small cubes and whisk into warm mixture.
Add zest and allow to completely cool before using.

So i got about this much :-) I tried it along the way, and it was perfectly lemony but not to sweet. I had to take this next picture because i thought the yolks looked neat just floating in the pan. This was after fishing out one piece of shell and poking a yolk to cover another (this is where the sieve comes in). Also after wiping the side of the pot because i dripped egg white all over it. No matter how much i try, and i have plenty of practice, i can not crack an egg without making a mess, either poking my thumb/fingers through it, dripping the white everywhere or dropping shells into it. I am resolved to live with my weakness, and have become an expert shell picker-outer because of it.

So finally with this recipe i got to use the candy thermometer my Mom gave me for Christmas. Unfortunately, the pot was to small and it kept falling out, even with the clip. I got one almost good shot of it, though! I found the lemon curd started to boil before it reached temperature, so i had to be very careful that it did not splash me. This was thick, so it spurted like pasta sauce rather then just bubbled like boiling water.

And finally, the only real hard part of the operation, and it wasn't really all that difficult; i pushed it through a sieve to remove the egg shells and lemon seeds. Yummy. I had forgotten to zest the lemon before i juiced it, tried to zest the peels (and found a cut on my finger) and said forget it and just went with the zest from an extra lemon.  I had bought 4 just in case.

It doesn't look like a lot because it is in a large mixing bowl. So now that i have some yummy lemon curd, what am i to do with it? Hmmmm....Also, this is officially my 99th post! Later in the week, i plan on making gnocci for my 100th post, I can't wait to try the recipe, i am not exactly sure which day i am making it yet, though, since i was promised a dinner out this week!