Honey Lemon Curd
By: Kori Pepper
Honey Lemon Curd is easy to make with a few simple ingredients.
Honey Lemon Curd is versatile and easy to make. With a few simple ingredients you likely have in your pantry already, this little bit of sunshine is a snap. Before we dive into this recipe, let’s talk about curd. No, not the cheesy kind. For the unfamiliar, fruit curd is a condiment or spread similar to jelly or jam. The key difference is it’s thickened to a silky consistency with eggs and sometimes butter for added richness. Fruit curd has lots of applications from a simple condiment on toast to jazzing up your favorite desserts, like cheesecake and sandwich cookies. Citrus curds, such as lemon, are the most common types found at a local grocer, however, I encourage you to try making other flavors, such as raspberry and rhubarb, especially if your honey has a distinct flavor profile! For our purposes here, the bright acidity of lemon always pairs well with honey’s sharp sweetness, so it makes a great starter recipe if you have never made a fruit curd before.
So let’s get started! First, some kitchen notes:
1) Lemon’s high acidity will react with and pit aluminum cookware, so be sure to use stainless steel or other preferred non-reactive cookware for this recipe.
2) The key to getting a smooth texture without any chunky egg bits is to whisk well at the beginning, then whisk constantly during thickening and watch your heat. Cooking at too high a temperature will give you soupy, lemon flavored scrambled eggs. If you do end up with a few tiny egg bits, don’t fret: you can use a fine mesh strainer to strain your curd.
3) Make sure your butter is cold and cut into chunks before you start cooking your curd. You want it ready to go when you take your curd off the heat.
4) Don’t worry if your curd looks a little thin while it’s still hot, it will thicken up more when it cools. Once your curd is completely cooled and you decide you’d like an even thicker consistency, you can add one to two egg yolks to the recipe when making your next batch.
Equipment
□ 1-2 quart pot (not aluminum)
□ Whisk
□ Heat-proof bowl
□ Microplane/zester
□ Citrus reamer or juicer (optional)
□ Plastic wrap
Ingredients
□ 9 oz honey
□ 5 ea large eggs
□ 1 tbsp lemon zest
□ ¾ c fresh-squeezed lemon juice
□ 4 ¼ oz cold butter, cut into chunks
Directions
Yield: about 3 cups
Step 1
In a sauce pot, whisk the honey, eggs, lemon juice and zest together until well incorporated.
Step 2
Over medium-low heat, whisk your curd constantly and cook until thickened (if you’re unsure, you can test it with a food thermometer for 160° F).
Step 3
Once your curd is cooked, take the pot completely off the heat. Add your cold butter and whisk until fully incorporated.
Step 4
Transfer to a heat safe bowl and allow to cool. You’ll want to loosely cover it with plastic wrap touching the surface of your curd to keep a skin from forming.
Step 5
Once cooled, transfer to a lidded container and your curd can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Get Creative
Did I mention your curd is versatile? Use it to swirl into yogurt, plop onto pancakes and dress up your desserts. Lemon bars and cheesecakes are some of my favorites. For a simple, but snazzy treat, bake your favorite sugar cookie recipe and let cool. Top with a thin circle of your honey lemon curd and dust with confectioner’s sugar.
Honey Lemon Curd can easily jazz up simple desserts like these sugar cookies, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar
