Lemon curd

A custard made not with milk, but with lemon juice is lemon curd. Its silky and rather dense texture, pleasant citrus flavor, and very beautiful juicy color are very important characteristics when preparing fillings and layers for sweet pastries, in various creams for decorating pastries and cakes.

Yield: 1 serving (450 grams).

Preparation time: 20 minutes.

Caloric content: 333 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Ingredients

• lemons – 1.5-2 pcs. (depending on size);
• eggs – 2 large or 3 small;
• white sugar – 150 g;
• cornstarch – 5 g;
• butter at room temperature – 100 g.

Preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients. You need to obtain 100 milliliters of juice from the lemons, so you'll need to focus on this number and gradually squeeze the juice to avoid cutting unnecessary fruits. If the weight of the egg without the shell is less than 55 grams, then you need to take 3 pieces. Cornstarch for the curd can be replaced with potato starch without compromising taste and consistency.

2. Grate the zest of one lemon using a fine grater, but only its yellow part (the white will taste bitter).

3. Squeeze out 100 milliliters of lemon juice separately.

4. Crack the eggs into a saucepan.

5. Add all the sugar to them.

6. Mix the mixture with a whisk (no need to beat), then add the cornstarch and mix again.

7. Add the zest.

8. Pour in all the juice. Stir the mixture well to dissolve the dry lumps.

9. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Now the main thing is to stir the mixture continuously and bring it to a boil, then cook for another minute.

10. The cream will noticeably change its texture and thicken. Now it needs to be strained through a sieve, bringing the consistency to a silky state.

11. Immediately add the butter to the hot cream.

12. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Then let the mixture cool, covering it with plastic wrap in contact, and then transfer it to a jar or airtight container.

Lemon curd can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days until needed for some dessert. The simplest yet worthwhile treat made from this cream is a slice of bread spread with curd. Try it – it's a real lemon delight!