Lemon curd is one of my favourite things ever. Spread on toast. Sandwiching sponge cakes. Whipped with mascarpone and creme fraiche to top blueberries sprinkled with demerara ( I call this my blueberry trifle.) I can also quite easily eat it by the spoonful. And once you have sampled home-made, you will never ever ever go back to shop bought.
This is also one of my 'core' recipes - it's incredibly flexible and I always take at least a kilner jar full with me when I'm catering for large numbers. This recipe also works equally well with limes and the delicious lime curd is perfects squished onto the mint and zime lested layers of our infamous mojito cake!
Recipe
Juice of 6 lemons
Zest of 4 lemons
350g castor sugar
4 medium eggs
250g butter/cubed
Place half the butter and all of the other ingredients in a heavy based saucepan. Break up the eggs with a fork. Over a medium heat, whisk continuously until the mixture comes to the boil - make sure to scrape around the edges (the eggs can easily catch and scramble.)
Remove the pan from the heat and add the rest of the butter.
Cool and pour into sterilised containers.
Lemon curd will keep for about 4 days in the fridge.