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| Make-it-yourself Brown Sugar Lemon Curd with Crystallised Ginger on toasted Light Wholemeal Spelt Soda Bread |
News that, for the Queen's 90th birthday, Great British Bake-Off winner Nadiya Hussein is making a fruit curd accompaniment to her cake is no surprise.
Those lucky enough to taste home-made curd for the first time think they've died and gone to heaven. Curds are thick spreads, good for toast or dolloping on cake or for flavouring puddings. Shop bought - no matter how artisanal the producer - aren't a patch on home-made.
67goingon50 loves lemon curd but has made it only half a dozen times. The ingredients -- eggs (sometimes with extra yolks), sugar, butter and juice -- are not exactly healthy. The method is also fiddly, like making custard, which 67 has always found a bit tricky.
But, needs must. A friend is celebrating a birthday. Home-made curd makes an impressive and beautiful gift. And a cook worried about calories or health can have a taste of the final product and happily hand over the rest to someone else.
The Blogger has also discovered a fool-proof easy-peasy method that produces a gloriously silky, irridescent lemon spread. Without lumps!
This recipe for Lemon Curd with Crystallised Ginger was adapted from Essentials of Baking. Light brown sugar was used instead of white and the amount of sugar was reduced. Crystallised ginger was added to give it a spicy hit. Make no mistake, this is an Indulgence and definitely not healthy!
The method was adapted from food blog Fine Cooking. (Sources below)
Cost: £2
Makes: about 3/4 cup, equiv 2 small jars; recipe doubles nicely
Ingred:
2 oz/60gm butter, at room temperature
2-3 oz/60-90 gm sugar (the blogger used light brown for its carmel flavour but white is fine & gives a more lemony tint)
2 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks (yolks are optional but make the curd wonderfully rich)
1/2 tsp vanilla
zest and juice of 2 lemons, unwaxed recommended (
a few cubes crystallised ginger, finely chopped (slice the ginger first; use kitchen scissors to cut into fine cubes) (opt)
Method:
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil; reduce heat to a simmer; have ready a heatproof bowl that fits on top but does not touch the water
- Beat butter and sugar together until light, pale & fluffy - it will take a few mins
- Add eggs and yolks (if using); beat till blended
- Add vanilla;blend
- Add lemon zest and juice; blend thoroughly; it will look ghastly and curdled but have faith -- it will turn silky smooth
- Decant into the heatproof bowl and place over, but not touching, the simmering water
- Using a whisk, stir constantly (don't leave it); after a few minutes the mix will slowly thicken
- As you meet more resistance, poke the back of a wooden spoon into the curd; if the curd coats the spoon and your finger leaves a trail through it, it is done
- Pour into a clean dish and cover completely with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming
- Leave for an hour; stir in ginger if using, then refrigerate
- It lasts 5 days (if you're lucky)
Tips for serving:
- on toast
- as a accompaniment for cakes
- as a flavouring layer in the middle & top of cheesecakes
- in creamy puddings
- over ice cream
'My friends and I had this on toast and we all thought it was absolutely great!' 20-something Australian
'I never eat dessert in the evenings but I've been having this on toast every night since I got it!' middle aged metal rock fan
Tips:
If you have an absolutely top-notch stovetop element that doesn't have hot spots, you can cook this on top of the stove - it will be much quicker but the risk of burning the bottom rises.
Sources:
Essentials of Baking, Williams-Sonoma, Oxmoor House, about £35
www.finecooking.com/articles/foolproof-lemon-curd.method.aspx
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This recipe has been developed by B Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.
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