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Lemon Curd

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Makes about 2 cups 1x

Time 15 to 30 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions

  1. Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking almost constantly, until the mixture thickens and reaches between 175° and 180°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Don’t let it boil. (It will make a thick coating on the back of a spoon.)
  2. Remove from the heat. While it’s still hot, pour the curd through a fine-meshed strainer into a bowl and let cool a bit. Serve warm or chilled. Lemon curd will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

– Recipe from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition 

Recipe variations

Shortcut Lemon Mousse
Whip 1 cup cream and fold in 1 cup chilled lemon curd. Leave some streaks if you like.