Description
This classic Lemon Curd recipe delivers a bright, tangy, and creamy spread made from fresh lemons, eggs, sugar, and butter. Perfect for spreading on pancakes, scones, or oatmeal, this velvety curd is simple to prepare and cooks on the stovetop to the perfect consistency, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- ½ cup lemon juice (114 grams, from about 4 lemons), plus more as needed
- 1 large egg (50 grams)
- 4 egg yolks (56 grams)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42 grams)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (4 grams, from 1 lemon)
Instructions
- Combine ingredients: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, whole egg, and egg yolks continuously for 5 minutes. This step begins to cook the eggs gently while dissolving the sugar and integrating the lemon juice.
- Add butter and zest: Stir in the unsalted butter and lemon zest until the butter has melted. Continue whisking the mixture constantly for about 15 minutes until the curd thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, indicating it has reached the perfect consistency.
- Strain the curd: For a smooth texture without lemon zest bits, strain the lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve. This step is optional depending on your texture preference.
- Serve and enjoy: Use the lemon curd immediately or chill it for later. It pairs beautifully with pancakes, oatmeal, scones, or can be used as a filling or topping in various desserts.
Notes
- Ensure you whisk constantly while cooking to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- If the curd is too thick after cooling, whisk in a little extra lemon juice or water to loosen.
- Store lemon curd in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- This recipe yields about 1 cup (16 tablespoons) of lemon curd.
