Wine Imbiber » Luscious Lemon Curd

21 Jan
2010

Luscious Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd Curd. What an unfortunate name for something that tastes so wonderful. The fact that it rhymes with a favorite unsavory word of mine from my juvenile years doesn’t help, either. But when you get past the sound of it and focus on what curd is, you really don’t care about its name. Wikipedia defines a fruit curd as “a dessert spread and topping usually made with lemon, orange or raspberry. The basic ingredients are beaten egg yolks, sugar, fruit juice and zest which are gently cooked together until thick and then allowed to cool, forming a soft, smooth, intensely–flavored spread.”

Wikipedia also mentions that curds differ from custards or pie fillings as they have a higher proportion of juice and zest, giving them a more intense flavor. Some curds can also contain egg whites and/or butter. The curd recipes that use butter produce a smoother and creamier texture than that of either custards or pie fillings. This is because both contain little or no butter and use cornstarch or flour for thickening agents.

I (of course) believe Meyer lemons are the only type of lemon that should be used for lemon curd recipes. Their highly fragrant, flavorful rinds and tangy, less sour juice make them the perfect choice for a recipe that depends on zest and juice for most of its flavor. {Want some Meyer lemons of your own? Check out our Lemon LoveFest post to see how you can win California–grown lemons delivered fresh to your door!}

I’ve assembled some links below to various websites that have different versions of lemon curd recipes; the second link is a video of the process. I’ve tried a couple of the recipes before, and they are so easy peasy to make that I feel guilty buying lemon curd from the store. (Trader Joe’s sells such a tasty, reasonably priced lemon curd that it is hard to pass up when I’m pinched for time.) The photos in this post are actually a jar of TJ’s lemon curd, which I used in another post for Bobby Flay’s Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (an over–the–top yum recipe as it calls for lemon juice, zest and lemon curd!). Homemade or store–bought, lemon curd will add a luscious touch to whatever dish you are creating with it!

Lemon Curd