Consider this “Mother’s Day Dessert Week” here on EYHO. I know that a lot of times the focus gets put on brunch for Mother’s Day, but I think by now you may have figured out that my family has a tendency to shift our focus to dessert more than anything else. And so this week I have a couple of beautiful desserts for you to pick from when looking to show Mom how much you love her this weekend.
While this lemon curd is a component of a dessert that we will be completing later this week, it’s getting its own post because it is a recipe that you can use in about a million different ways. Use it as a filling for a cake (or cupcakes). Spread it on slices of pound cake. Serve it with fresh berries. Whisk it into a salad dressing. Spoon. Jar. Mouth. Repeat. Once you know how to make lemon curd, the possibilities are limitless.
From Alton Brown.
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- Zest of 4 lemons
- ⅓ cup freshly-sqeezed lemon juice
- 1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pats
- Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Meanwhile, find a bowl just large enough to fit inside the saucepan without touching the top of the water. This process will go faster with a metal bowl, but a glass bowl will do just fine in a pinch.
- Whisk the egg yolks and the sugar together in the bowl until smooth and light yellow, about 1 minute. Add the juice and the zest and whisk until smooth and combined.
- Once the water reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to maintain at a gentle simmer; place the bowl with the egg mixture on top. Whisk continuously until the mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes in a metal bowl or closer to 12 or 13 with a glass bowl. The thickened mixture should be light yellow and coat the back of a spoon (curd will thicken more as it cools).
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, allowing each pieces to melt before adding more.
- Pour into a clean container; place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd, and then cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Ann says
Oh yes…I love lemon curd! Maybe some day I’ll get dessert. For now I still get tissue paper covered vases, construction paper cards, and wadded up used tissues in a box (true story). 🙂
Stephie says
Haha! Oh my, what treasures…. 😉
Erin | The Law Student's Wife says
Lemon curd is on my bucket list for this spring. Can’t wait to see what you make with it, although let’s be real: I could go at this with a spoon!
Stephie says
Let’s be real: I did.
Julia says
Lemon curd is one of those things that just seems so useful to have around – I should definitely make some. Looking forward to a week of desserts on EYHO, can’t wait to see what you came up with!!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
Love all the ways that you can lemon curd! My mom loves lemon, so I may have to give this a try for Mother’s Day brunch!
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking says
Oh lemon curd. I wish I would have discovered it sooner. I had it for the first time last year. That jar was gone in a week! Mainly because of the spoon, jar, mouth technique! hahaha!
Stephie says
Seriously, it’s addictive stuff.
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Holy delicious cupcake filling Batman!
Stephie says
Can you imagine a strawberry cupcake with lemon curd filling? Mmmmmmmmmmm.
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Right?! So perfect for this time of year!