Lemon curd. Why is it so hard to make one? The step by step instructions were quite clear, so where did I go wrong? My first attempt was a BIG mess. It was overly sweet, too tangy and gloppy. Yuck. Followed by another failure with dreadful curdling. Sigh. I missed the right thickness (by few stirs only) as Adam was shouting calling for me. Why did he always call me during critical times? Should I blame him for my tragic lemon curd? ;p
Of course, giving up was never part of me lol, I tried again for the third time. I chose to follow Little Teochew's Easy Lemon Curd recipe since the word 'Easy' on the title is quite convincing. Instead of cooking it as a stovetop custard, I turned to ban Marie method and did the stirring thingy during wee hours of the morning, so nobody (read: both men) can disturb me. Voila, I got a bowl of lemon curd... and it suits my palate perfectly. Bonus. The combination of eggs, lemon, butter and sugar finally gave in to a smooth and silky curd. Phew~
Back to my first intention, it's time to make lemon tart. So I whipped 100ml of heavy cream and fold a dollop of lemon curd to it. Yummy. As for the crust, I loosely followed Ijan of Blogresepi's recipe. I've halved the flour and subs it with ground almond. (Thanks Ijan! I did try the original recipe tho, 2 thumbs up for it!)
According to Ju of Little Teochew, the curd will last for a week in a fridge, and 2 months in the freezer. I've a bowl of it in my fridge now, and Im thinking of eating it buttered toast, scones, maybe turn a portion of it as a lemon cake, a cupcake filling, a cake topping and many more things. Yeah, it's overwhelming, but for now, let me just enjoy a slice of lemon tart with my little man :)
Lemon Curd Recipe
(adapted from Little Teochew's Easy Lemon Curd)
- 50 to 60g unsalted butter (more butter will make it smoother, but at the same time, fattier too ... you decide)
- 200 to 225g sugar (depending how sweet or tart you like it)
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 120ml fresh lemon juice (RC Note: 100ml will do)
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest, or more if you like (depending on how strong you want the flavour of lemon)(RC Note: I put 1/2 tsp only)
1. In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients except the butter*. Mix well. Place the bowl over a bain-marie** (water bath) and stir constantly. The mixture may look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks.
* If you want a more subtle taste of lemon, do not add the zest at this stage. Set aside with the butter.
2. Once the mixture thickens - it should leave a path on the back of a spoon - turn off the flame and add butter in 2 or 3 additions. If you have not added in your lemon zest, add it in now and stir to mix well.
3. Allow the curd to cool slightly before transferring to a clean jar or bowl. Make sure it is covered to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools.
Lemon Cream recipe
100ml heavy cream-whipped
A dollop of lemon curd.
Fold a dollop of lemon curd into whipped cream. Ready to use.
Tart crust recipe (adapted from Blogresepi's recipe)
