Lemon Curd

Oh man, it's Sunday and the TV is blasting hockey at 10 am...  Too early...  I wanted to bake something but being that I have to be at work by 4 and feeling super lazy, I've decided to do the first step of a multi-step recipe.  So Part 1 of mystery item to come at a later time is the Lemon Curd.  

Lemon Curd can be used as a spread on toast, english muffins, etc or used as a filling for other baked goods.  This recipe I found on the interwebs and through suggestions by other readers/websites, I changed it slightly to reflect those ideas I found.

Ingredients:

• 3 large egg yolks, strained
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

Directions:

1. Take the 3 egg yolks and break them into a strainer over your saucepan - that way all of the membranes and egg white hanging on will be filtered out thus eliminating unsightly lumps.  You can strain your lemon juice into the saucepan at the same time as well.
2. Add zest, lemon juice and sugar to the yolks in the saucepan and whisk to combine.  Set over medium heat and stir constantly with spatula or wooden spoon and make sure to stir the bottom and sides of the pan so it doesn't stick/burn.  Cook until the mixture is thick - will take 8-10 minutes or even longer - just stir until the mixture coats the spoon nicely.
3. Remove saucepan from the heat and add butter, one piece at a time and stirring with your utensil until the consistency is smooth.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl with a lid (or if you don't have one of those, you can cover the bowl with plastic wrap) and seal bowl as to avoid icky skin from forming.  Ensure whatever seal you're using is tightly sealing the mixture.  Let cool, then refrigerate for at least an hour until firm and chilled.  

Lemon curd can be refrigerated for approximately a week but can be frozen for up to a year.


(adapted from Martha Stewart Living)


Note: I used salted butter and I think it worked well.