Lemon curd is a tradtional sweet-tart fruit spread from England. I have two versions of lemon curd for you. The first is a pretty straightforward curd with a nice balance of sweet and tart and a buttery finish. The second is a bit more complex with the addition of creme fraiche and white chocolate. Both are excellent, so it's up to you to decide which version you'd like to make. Or make both!
Measure your butter into a heat-safe bowl. Place a strainer over the top of the bowl and set aside convenient to the stove.
Over medium heat, whisk eggs, juice, sugar, salt, and zest together.
Never stop whisking. Whisk until the mixture thickens and reaches 160 degrees, F, using an instant-read thermometer. If not using a thermometer, you'll know it's done with the curd thickens and the bubbles from the whisk have dissipated.
Remove from heat, strain into a bowl with the butter. Whisk the butter in.
Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd and allow it to cool, or pour into clean jars and cover.
Keep for up to a week in the fridge.
See NOTES below for the "fancy" lemon curd recipe.
Notes
Butter Amount in the Traditional Lemon Curd Recipe
For the silkiest texture, you may leave the butter out entirely. I love the buttery flavor in the background, so I usually use about 1/2 oz. The more you use, the more firmly the curd will set up and the richer it will be. But more butter also means a less-smooth curd, so decide what is most important to you and add the butter accordingly.
Fancy Lemon Curd Recipe
113 grams (4 oz 1/2 cup) lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
220 grams (7.8 oz or about 1 cup) sugar
1 egg
2 yolks
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Morton's)
42 grams (1 1/2 oz or 3 Tablespoons) butter
42 grams (1 1/2 oz. or about 3 Tablespoons) creme fraiche
38 grams (1 1/3 oz. or about 3 Tablespoons) good quality white chocolate (not white coating)
Follow the instructions in the main recipe, placing the butter, creme fraiche, and white chocolate in the bowl and combining the lemon juice, zest, sugar, egg, yolks, and salt in your saucepan.
Nutrition Information for the Fancy Lemon Curd
Yield: about 16 oz or 16 1oz servings:
101 calories
4.3 grams fat
2.5 grams saturated fat
44 mg cholesterol
60 mg sodium
15.5 grams carbohydrates
0 grams dietary fiber
Total sugars 15.3 grams
1 gram protein
Storing
Store lemon curd, tightly covered, in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge. Once thawed, use within a week.