I love lemon curd. I have made it quite often these last years and used it so much in so many cakes. However, there are two kinds of lemon curd that I make: one sweet and one quite tart. The first one can be eaten as it is and be used in lemon curd butter cream, cream cheese cream (both of them normally take no more sugar) or pies, the second one I use in cakes that are already very sweet (like this amazing cheese cake I made on Saturday).
The first recipe tastes better, amazing I could say. The second one is the healthier one. It only needs 1 tablespoon butter and 150 g sugar compared to the sweet one, which needs 75 g butter and 250 g sugar. Both have a really nice consistency and taste really good, the main difference you’ll notice will be the sweetness.
- Sweet lemon curd
- 3 eggs
- 75 g/ ⅓ cup/ 2.6 oz butter
- 250 g/ 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons grated lemon peel (organic and unwaxed)
- 95 ml/ freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Tart lemon curd
- 3 eggs
- 150 ml/ freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 150 g/ ⅔ cup sugar
- some vanilla extract to taste
- 1 scant tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (organic and unwaxed)
- The method is the same for both recipes.
- Brake the eggs in a small bowl and whisk together very well. Strain through a fine small sieve into another bowl. Set aside. The sieving is important, by doing it you will avoid having small bits of eggs in your curd.
- Heat the lemon juice, the sugar, vanilla, butter and lemon peel in a small pan. Bring to a boil and let everything bubble a couple of times while stirring well. Do not let it cook long, 2 or 3 good bubbles are enough. Remove from heat, wait 1 minute then add the eggs little by little while whisking all the time.
- Cook everything on very very very low heat for 10 minutes while stirring very often. Don't leave the curd unattended during this time, stay there and take care. If you notice that it is getting too hot and wants to start boiling, take it off the heat for a short moment while stirring and stirring or let only the half of the pot touch the heat source. If you let it boil the egg will curdle.
- After 10 minutes it should start getting thick. Pour everything into a jar and let cool completely. It will be thicker when cold.
