Luscious Lemon Curd

Luscious lemon curd; fantabulous in tarts, yogurts, meringue cookies, pavlova & of course pies. You had me at lemon.

Lemon curd is a combination of egg yolks, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar. I also add a little bit of heavy cream for creamier texture which cooks up into heavenly lemon bliss.

For an even texture I strained the beaten eggs & yolks through a sieve to remove the undesirable “wiggly” things. I am a hyper-texture driven gal; I do not allow those things into many pies or fillings.

The strained eggs, sugar, cream, lemon juice & zest and sliced up butter all go into the sauce pan at once over low to low-medium heat. As the butter slowly melts the mixture thickens; hence there is no cornstarch or flour needed. Pure lemony magic.

As soon as the curd has thickened, it’s poured into a bowl with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface and refrigerated. This step eliminates any skin from forming.

Once cooled the curd is ready to devour or added to your favorite dessert. I feel like I am having a life changing event every time I have some.

You be wondering “What pie is this going to be featured in?” No worries, it’s coming next week; Lemon Fluff Cream Pie. But for now save the last spoonful of curd for yourself, it’s delish.

Print Recipe

Luscious Lemon Curd

Fresh lemon juice, lemon zest with just the right amount of cream added creating a smooth and creamy melt in your mouth lemon curd.

Author: Portlandia Pie Lady

Ingredients

• 4 whole eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• Zest of one whole lemon (squeeze juice and use as part of 3/4 cup juice listed above)
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (see notes below)**
• 1-1/2 cups pure cane sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, sliced into 1/2 inch slices (about)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Zest the lemon, avoid the white pith, and set aside in a small bowl.  Squeeze out juice to measure with remaining juice needed for recipe.
• Pour the beaten eggs & egg yolks  through a sieve to remove the "wiggly" undesirable part (I am a texture-driven gal).
• Add the "strained" eggs into a sauce pan with sugar, lemon juice, zest.and heavy cream,  salt, vanilla, and cutup butter pieces. 
• Over low to low-medium heat, cook while stirring constantly with a whisk (I use a flat-bottom whisk that gets into the corners of the sauce pan). As the butter melts the mixture will slowly start to thicken, this will take about 10-12 minutes.
• Remove from heat, place plastic wrap pressed onto surface and refrigerate until cooled.

Notes

**lemon juice can be substituted for heavy cream.