Make this quick and easy fresh lemon curd recipe at home to spread over your favorite baked goods! Use as a topping on muffins, scones, pound cake or spread over your Sunday morning pancakes. Beware, it's so good you might end up eating it by the spoonful!
Fine sugar is best for this recipe to make a smooth curd, so place the 2/3 cup sugar in the blender and pulse for 15 – 20 pulses to create a soft, fine sugar and set aside. You can also mix up your gelatin in a small bowl and set aside (it will harden but this is fine, you will add it after the curd cooks).
You will need to cook this curd mixture on a double boiler setup so that it doesn’t curdle, the easiest way to do this is to use a medium sized saucepot filled with ½ cup of water and a large glass bowl. Place the saucepot with water on stovetop on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Place the glass bowl on top of the saucepot to cover (steam will exit from under the bowl and this is ok!).
In the bowl place the following: lemon juice, uncooked eggs well scrambled with a fork, sugar, and lemon zest. Begin stirring mixture and do so constantly. After a minute or so, add in the butter cubes and continue stirring constantly for 8 – 10 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken and the butter melts completely. Be careful not to leave the curd for a moment as it cooks unevenly if you do so.
If you have a candy thermometer handy, test the mixture and remove it from heat once it reaches a temperature of 160F. If you do not have a thermometer, remove from heat after 10 minutes and mixture has thickened slightly – it will thicken further when cool. To do so, remove the double boiler from heat, then the glass bowl from the saucepot – watch for hot steam! Off the heat, stir in gelatin pieces (it will soften and dissolve) until curd is smooth.
Cover curd with plastic wrap (pressing wrap down onto the curd to seal it and prevent a film from forming) and place in the fridge to cool for at least an hour to overnight. Serve alone or use as a topping for muffins, biscuits, cornbread, or your favorite baked goods! Keep sealed in fridge.
Ingredients
Directions
Fine sugar is best for this recipe to make a smooth curd, so place the 2/3 cup sugar in the blender and pulse for 15 – 20 pulses to create a soft, fine sugar and set aside. You can also mix up your gelatin in a small bowl and set aside (it will harden but this is fine, you will add it after the curd cooks).
You will need to cook this curd mixture on a double boiler setup so that it doesn’t curdle, the easiest way to do this is to use a medium sized saucepot filled with ½ cup of water and a large glass bowl. Place the saucepot with water on stovetop on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Place the glass bowl on top of the saucepot to cover (steam will exit from under the bowl and this is ok!).
In the bowl place the following: lemon juice, uncooked eggs well scrambled with a fork, sugar, and lemon zest. Begin stirring mixture and do so constantly. After a minute or so, add in the butter cubes and continue stirring constantly for 8 – 10 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken and the butter melts completely. Be careful not to leave the curd for a moment as it cooks unevenly if you do so.
If you have a candy thermometer handy, test the mixture and remove it from heat once it reaches a temperature of 160F. If you do not have a thermometer, remove from heat after 10 minutes and mixture has thickened slightly – it will thicken further when cool. To do so, remove the double boiler from heat, then the glass bowl from the saucepot – watch for hot steam! Off the heat, stir in gelatin pieces (it will soften and dissolve) until curd is smooth.
Cover curd with plastic wrap (pressing wrap down onto the curd to seal it and prevent a film from forming) and place in the fridge to cool for at least an hour to overnight. Serve alone or use as a topping for muffins, biscuits, cornbread, or your favorite baked goods! Keep sealed in fridge.