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Bright and sunny in color and packed with zingy, zesty citrus, my lemon curd recipe offers a refreshing change from all of the breads, pastas, cheeses, stuffings, chocolate, cookies, and alcohol consumed during the Christmas season. A few bites of this lemon curd and I’m already thinking spring…even if we do have to make it through the winter doldrums first!
Why Make This Lemon Curd Recipe?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably spent the last couple of weeks overindulging in holiday food. After a December full of rich, heavy dishes, I always find myself craving light, refreshing flavors as we ring in the new year, and this easy lemon curd certainly fits the bill.
Although you can purchase jarred lemon curd, my recipe is wonderfully easy to make at home. The ingredients (sugar, eggs, butter, lemons, vanilla bean paste) are things you probably already have on hand, and only takes a few minutes to prepare. You don’t even need to turn on the oven!
Ways to Use Lemon Curd
This lemon curd recipe offers many possibilities. You can:
- Fill a classic tarte au citron (lemon tart) or a batch of mini tartlets
- Bake puff pastry lemon hand pies
- Make lemon curd thumbprint cookies
- Spread it on scones, toast, or muffins
- Fill sandwich cookies or macarons
- Layer with fruit, whipped cream and crushed cookies for a simple dessert parfait
- Use it in layer cakes, or as a filling for cupcakes
- Stir lemon curd into to plain Greek yogurt for a sweet and simple breakfast
Lemon Curd Recipe Tips and Tricks
This curd recipe includes two whole eggs, plus two egg yolks. You can save the leftover whites for meringues or macarons, or do what I did and make an egg white scramble for breakfast the next morning!
When refrigerating your curd, be sure to stretch a sheet of clingfilm/plastic wrap over the top of the bowl, allowing it to touch the curd. This keeps the curd smooth and creamy by preventing a tough “skin” from forming on top.
Before serving, use a wire whisk to “knock back” the curd, whising briskly for a minute or two to remove any lumps.
Notes on Tempering
Tempering (gradually combining the hot and cold ingredients) is an important step in this recipe. Add the hot lemon juice to the cold eggs too quickly and you’re likely to find yourself with scrambled eggs, rather than a smooth and creamy lemon curd.
Some recipes include a straining step after cooking. If tempered properly, your curd should not be “eggy” and straining won’t be necessary (I don’t usually strain mine). However, if you do find little bits of egg in your curd, simply pass it through a fine mesh strainer (you can use a bench scraper to help push it through) before chilling.
For a deeper look at tempering (including step-by-step process photos) see this tutorial on how to make pastry cream.
Other citrus recipes you might enjoy:
Simple Candied Orange Peel
Sunny Lemon Daisy Cookies
Lemon Drops
Dark Chocolate Grapefruit Peels
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Lemon Curd
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 330 grams (about 1 1/4 cups) 1x
Description
A refreshingly simple lemon curd recipe, made with granulated sugar, eggs, butter, and fresh citrus.
Ingredients
110 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
115 grams eggs (2 medium eggs)
35 grams egg yolks (2 medium yolks)
1 tablespoon lemon zest, packed
75 milliliters freshly squeezed lemon juice (1/3 cup; about 2 large lemons)
85 grams unsalted butter, softened (6 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and lemon zest.
In a medium saucepan, warm the lemon juice until steaming. Do not boil.
Temper the hot juice into the egg mixture, adding a small amount at a time and whisking well after each addition, until all of the juice has been incorporated.
Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat. Bring to a low boil and continue cooking until thickened, about 4 minutes. While cooking, gently stir the curd continually with a wire whisk or rubber spatula.
Remove from heat. Whisk in the butter and the vanilla bean paste, and continue whisking until the butter has completely melted.
Transfer curd to a clean bowl.
Cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap, allowing the plastic to touch the top of the curd to prevent a tough skin from forming.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Before serving, use a wire whisk to “knock back” the curd, whisking for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
Store leftover curd in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Frostings and Fillings
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Sweets
