I love the taste of lemon and I have been wanting to make lemon curd for ages. However, butter and eggs was the reason that kept me from making it. However, even if I have been avoiding eggs and butter as much as I can, I still want to make a few things at least once and since I could not avoid the eggs, I used a becel proactive margarine instead of using butter.
When I went to the supermarket I bought some lovely organic lemons, especially for this reason.
I google searched to find more about how to make it and the Joy of Baking gave the best instructions. While reading other recipes I also came across this recipe and the idea of making lemon peels to be used for decoration in desserts, kept swirling into my mind.
How to make Lemon Curd
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 15 minutes
Makes: 1 1/2 cups (360 ml)
Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 – 3 organic lemons, for 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon (56 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I used becel proactive margarine)
- ¾ cup (150 grams) fine granulated sugar
Directions
- Whisk eggs with a hand mixer.
- In a stainless steel bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended.
- Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. (I skipped this step).
- Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Cover immediately (so a skin doesn’t form) and refrigerate for up to a week.
How to make Candied Lemon Peels
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Peels of 3 organic lemons
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
Directions:
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel from lemons in long strips (yellow part only).
- Place in a saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover and bring to boil. Drain and repeat blanching 2 more times.
- Bring sugar and water to boil in saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Add lemon peels and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Using slotted spoon, transfer peel to prepared sheet.
- Sprinkle 1 cup sugar over and toss to coat.
- Let dry at room temperature about 2 hours.
- Transfer lemon peel mixture to airtight container. Store peel at room temperature.
- Pour syrup into clean sterilized jar and store in refrigerator for future use.
- There will be some leftover sugar after coating the lemon peels. Do not discard but use it in other desserts.
Note:
- Sugar used to coat lemon peels can be used in other desserts.
- When boiling the lemon peels, you may use the third lemon water to boil and flavour rice.
- Syrup used to boil the lemon peels may be used to wet sponge cakes, biscuits to be used in desserts or in any other recipe using syrup.
- The lemon curd may be stored in sterile jars up to a week in the refrigerators. A few uses of lemon curd are: on bread and toast, just like we use jam, in tarts, between biscuits, on pancakes, to glaze cakes or thinned down as a sauce.
- A few recipes using these ingredients will be posted soon.
Just a reminder: The polls on the Royal Joust are now open, so if you liked my recipe please vote for my recipe here.
Tags: Desserts, lemon curd, lemon peels, Lemons, Sweets in Syrup, syrup
Thanks, Ivy, for sharing this lovely lemon curd recipe.
i never made lemon curd…i will try with your recipe!thank you,ivy!
Great recipes! I particularly love the flavor of lemon… Lemon curd is one of my favorite spreads!
Cheers and have a great week,
Rosa
Love the lemon «faces»! Great recipe Ivy…lemon curd is a real sweet treat! Thanks for sharing!
Good tips Ivy, I really like the idea of using the boiled water for lemon rice…NOTHING is wasted!
Mmm…love lemon curd, especially on gingerbread. The lemon faces remind me of a Play with Your Food calendar I have, too cute.
Lemon is my favorite. Always a very fresh flavor. Your lemon curd looks divine! I know I would really enjoy this intense lemon treat.
I’ve wanted to make my own lemon curd too! I bet this was delicious! Love the lemon peel too.
Good morning & Kalo Mina Ivy!
I love, love, love lemon curd. I’m baking all of my favorite lemon recipes regularly now because our lemons are ripe. I wish that you were my neighbor because I’ve already given hundreds of lemons away and you’d definitely be on the receiving end!
Ivy, that is a great post!…the first picture is so cute!
I made lemon curd once and it was a bit too runny so now i am a bit worried to make them.
and i just have a huge amlie seeing those lemons, really cute
Great tips Ivy! Lemon peel could be used in so many ways … imaging them now! I have used lemon curd in lemon tarts only but I am sure there are somany ways to use them§
Loved your beer pumpkin recipe … voting for you now!! =)
Love the cute lemons and lemon curd sounds wonderful!
The candied peels sound delicious Ivy.
I have made lemon curd but never lemon peels. I would like to try this.
Candied citrus peel is high on my list of things to try: thanks for the pointer. I am just waiting for the new crop of citrus fruit.
I love lemon curd. It is great on toast and I’ve also filled cupcakes with it! It gives an interesting surprise when you take a bite! I might have to try the candied peel when there is an abundance of lemons in the garden.
[...] my husband’s cake, I wanted to make a lemon cake so after making the lemon curd and the lemon peels I made the sponge cake which I flavoured with lemon zest and lemon syrup from the peels. All [...]
heheeee.. those are cute;-)
I have to try to make both the curd and the peels. I love lemon curd in pastries and the peels are the jewels. Don’t know why I don’t make them.
[...] of tablespoons sugar in the pastry and in the filling shall go even further and make them with lemon curd and [...]