Lemon Curd For The Win!

This weekend I plan on making my favorite dessert of all time, a luscious lemon tart. I've always loved all things citrus.  As you can see from the recipes so far on this blog, I've been on curd kick. I've made grapefruit curd, mango curd, and now lemon curd. I love their tartness with a hint of sweetness. I love how citrus literally brightens your day. I didn't want to get stressed by making everything in one day so I decided to make the filling today. I will make the pastry tomorrow, and then bake and assemble later this weekend. I'm also in the process of braiding my hair so I know I wouldn't have time to do it all in one day. As far as the curd, it really is simple to make and you can use it to fill macarons, cakes, pies, top ice cream , or just on toast in the morning. It's also a great way to use lemons.

This is enough to fill a 9 inch tart shell

Like all curds you just need a few basic things.

Lemon Curd

• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks (save the egg whites for macarons later, maybe)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons for both zest and juice)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
• ½ cup  unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (1 stick)

First, in a medium heatproof bowl, place eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and heavy cream and whisk to combine.

 Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water . Cook on moderate heat, whisking constantly, until mixture becomes thick (mine was ready in 8minutes, but it can take up to 15). If you have a thermometer, it should register 170F/75C; otherwise, it should coat the back of a wooden spoon and leave a clear pass if you run your finger through it. 

The curd will thicken more once cooled.

Remove from heat and immediately strain mixture through a sieve.

Look at all that chunky stuff, after straining you are left with a smooth curd

 Now add in your butter, a few cubes at a time, and whisk until completely melted and incorporated, and your  mixture is smooth. 

Take your time with it—the whisking makes for an airy and light texture. Allow to cool to room temperature before placing in your fridge (lemon curd can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or can be frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, place overnight in the fridge.

It's so smooth

Whisk the mixture to smoothen it before using.

Yummy Lemon Curd

Now all you need is crust, which I will be making a yummy pastry dough in the next coming days.