There are endless possibilities with this sweet, tart Homemade Lemon Curd. You’ll be wondering why it took you this long to make this stuff!
ME BEFORE THE RECIPE…
It’s the last week of school ya’ll!!!! Can you believe it?! We’ve survived another school year around here.
Wait, I guess I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. Surviving assumes that I make it past the next three and a half days, which may be a little sketchy. Being the homeroom mom in Emry’s class, I am in charge of the end of school year party. It’s somehow going to involve water balloons, three legged races, and Twister. There is a solid 50/50 chance that this can be an epic success or ultimate disaster.
Pray for me.
Although summer hasn’t officially started, I feel like we’ve already begun. I’ve completely stopped checking on my kids’ homework, bedtime is nonexistent, boating is in full swing, and we’ve already been entertaining visitors.
Ben’s parents were here this past weekend watching Emry participate in a gymnastics showcase. First of all, it was the cutest thing ever. We watched her show off her skills on the bars, beam, floor, and vault. One thing’s for sure, that girl has the biceps to be a gymnast!
Emry felt so special to have guests come from out of town just to support her. Usually big sister is the one in the spotlight with all her monthly dance competitions. But not this time. This time was all about Emry Pie.
Now as much as she enjoyed the company of grandma and grandpa, there was another thing she was equally excited for: FOOD.
Seriously, this kid lives for food. For almost two weeks prior to her showcase, she asked me everyday if she could pick a place to eat dinner afterward. She informed me that since it was her day, she should be able to choose. No joke, it was a daily conversation.
Not only did she get to choose the dinner spot the day of her competition, but I also let her select our Sunday breakfast the next morning. She could pick anything she wanted: pancakes, muffins, waffles, omelettes, you name it.
Cream puffs.
HERE COMES THE RECIPE…
Yep, that’s what homegirl wanted. But really, who wouldn’t want a fresh pastry filled with a personalized concoction of endless toppings: salted caramel, whipped cream, toasted coconut, seasonal fruit, mint yogurt, chocolate ganache…and fresh Homemade Lemon Curd. Welcome to heaven.
Making homemade curd used to be so intimidating to me. There was something about the possibility of curdling the eggs that got me all stressed out inside. However, now I feel like a curd making pro and I can literally throw together a batch of curd without a single hesitation.
If you follow these few steps to making this homemade lemon curd, you are sure to reach pro status as well.
HOMEMADE LEMON CURD TIPS:
- Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks before adding any lemon juice. Lemon juice is highly acidic and begins cooking the eggs once they touch. By incorporating the egg yolks into the sugar mixture first, it creates a sort of barrier against the harsh acid, yielding a much more pleasant flavor in the end.
- Cook over low heat. You want your stove top to be a medium low heat. Anything higher will curdle the eggs. Be patient. With this low heat setting, it may take anywhere from 7-15 minutes to thicken your mixture.
- Stir constantly. Seriously, do not leave the stove top. If you do, your eggs are sure to overcook on the bottom of the pan.
- Have your butter and strainer ready. As soon as that curd is cooked, you’ll want to pour it right away into your butter. The strainer will catch all of the lemon zest and any potentially cooked egg pieces.
- Don’t skip chilling. Chilling allows the flavors to marry and the mixture to thicken. Although, curd does taste lovely warm as well.
This homemade lemon curd was the hit of the cream puff toppings. I’m almost positive every person put a dollop on every cream puff they ate. The fresh lemony flavor just seemed to jazz up the otherwise super sweet topping alternatives.
The options for homemade lemon curd are almost endless. The more you make it, the more ways you discover its goodness.
HOW TO ENJOY HOMEMADE LEMON CURD:
- Spread on toast
- Filling in cakes or cupcakes
- Topping on ice cream
- Over pancakes or waffles
- By the spoonful
- Inside gluten free lemon curd macarons
- Mixed into plain yogurt
See, the list goes on and on. And I’m sure you can come up with even more.
Hopefully all your summers are as bright and happy as a batch of this homemade lemon curd. It only takes a spoonful of this liquid gold to get you in the summer days mood!
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…
- Gluten Free Grapefruit Cake with Grapefruit Curd
- Orange Grapefruit Coconut Juice
- Gluten Free Lemon Bars
- Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Gluten Free Lemon Donuts
Homemade Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice about 2-3 lemons
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, add sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt, Whisk for about 3 minutes until mixture is beginning to turn pale yellow and thin out.* Add lemon juice and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Place cold butter, cut into 4 cubes, in a small mixing bowl with a strainer set over the top. Set aside next to stove top.
- Pour egg mixture into a medium sized saucepan. Place over medium low heat on stove top and stir constantly with a spatula for about 7 minutes until slightly thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do not leave mixture or eggs make overcook and curdle.
- Immediately pour mixture over strainer into bowl with cubed butter. Gently push mixture through strainer with back of spatula. Remove strainer and wipe off spatula. Stir curd mixture with butter until butter is completely melted.
- Cover top of mixture with plastic wrap so that the surface of the curd is touching the plastic. This will prevent a skin from forming. Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Once ready to serve, remove curd from fridge and stir until smooth. Serve on toast, over ice cream, with pancakes, in cream puffs, etc.
Notes
