LEMON CURD

It’s absolutely freezing outside. And when the weather is like this, I need to cheer myself up a bit. Keen for an injection of sunshine, I decided to make some lemon curd. I adore lemon curd, having always had it on toast for breakfast as a child. There is a lovely sense of nostalgia to it and I always have a jar of it in my fridge.

Rather than buying it, its actually cheaper to make your own and ridiculously easy. Last night, on my way home from work, I had an overwhelming urge for this deliciously tart yet sweet, creamy treat. I knew I had caster sugar and eggs in the house so I just needed to buy a few lemons.

Ingredients
zest and juice of 4 unwaxed lemons
200g sugar
100g unsalted butter, cubed
3 eggs and 1 egg yolk

Simply place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the basin doesn’t touch the water.  (I love this stainless steel double -boiler insert from Ikea)

Put the lemon juice and zest into the bowl with  the sugar and the butter.  Stir with a whisk from time to time until the butter has melted. (You can decide if you want to strain the juice or not.  Personally I like it strained as it keeps it smoother, however my dad prefers the ‘bits’.  It’s up to you.)

Mix the eggs and egg yolk lightly with a fork, then stir into the lemon mixture.

Let the curd cook on a medium heat, stirring regularly for about 10 minutes, until it is thick and custard-like. It should feel heavy on the whisk.

Remove from the heat and stir occasionally as it cools.  Once cooled, pour into clean jars and seal.  (This will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.)

It was absolutely perfect this morning when I had it on my toast.

It was creamy and wobbly, sweet and tart…just delicious.

Lemon curd doesn’t just need to be eaten at breakfast, it is of course used in lemon meringue pie, inserted into cupcakes, used as an alternative to strawberry jam in Victoria sponge cakes…the options are vast.

And of course, you can vary the flavourings by swapping some lemons for limes. I often take out one of the lemons and replace it with a couple of limes.  My mum loves to add orange to it.

Please try this out, it really is so easy and the results are so worth it. You won’t go back to shop-bought!