Culinary Etude 12/31/2017
In coffee shops you can often find tartlets, meringues with lemon filling, and some supermarkets sell glass jars with a citrus delicacy. But in fact, this dessert can be prepared at home. This does not require expensive ingredients, and the end result always tastes good. Today, regular blog reader Yulia Khoroshilova will share with us a proven recipe for lemon curd.
Good afternoon Today I would like to continue the topic of ideas for delicious gifts for New Year for family and friends, started in the article.
IN cold winter it is impossible to resist the temptation to please yourself and your loved ones with fragrant and delicious dessert. On the eve of the New Year holidays, I offer you a simple and proven recipe for aromatic lemon curd. Many may think that the delicacy is too high in calories, but let's forget about carbohydrates for a while. After all, food is primarily positive emotions and energy, especially if it is prepared with love.
What kind of dessert is this
Lemon curd very popular in the UK and America, it is often served for breakfast in bowls with pancakes, crispy honey toast. Many confectioners add citrus curd to pies, meringues, and tartlets. Due to its consistency, this dish is often called lemon cream, and its bright and rich taste will appeal to true gourmets. Many compare this delicacy with the classic version of fruit custard, but there is one significant difference - no flour or starch is added to the curd.
Lemon cream is quite easy to prepare and has different options. For example, popular culinary blogger Irina Chadeeva (Chadeyka) makes a cake with lemon curd and meringue. She confirms that even novice cooks can master this recipe, since it is simple both in terms of ingredients and preparation. Another famous chef Andy Chef adds lemon curd to cupcakes and macaroons. Believe me, dessert will add variety, even if you eat it with regular pancakes.
Lemon cream recipe
When I first looked for how to make lemon curd, I was amazed at how many recipes there were for this delicacy. In this case, the cream can be prepared with the addition of lime, strawberries, orange, but lemon remains the base ingredient. Even if you are not a fan of this citrus fruit, you will definitely appreciate the taste of Kurd for its harmonious combination of sourness and sweetness.
Most of the recipes are slightly different. For example, according to Jamie Oliver's recipe, lemon curd is made from 5 yolks and 2 whole eggs. This ratio is considered classic, but this recipe didn’t suit me because I didn’t have time to think about where to put the remaining whites (although I later remembered that you can make airy meringues from them). Therefore I offer an option step by step recipe with a photo of lemon curd, which uses whole eggs, which further simplifies the preparation process.
You will need the following ingredients:
- zest of 2 lemons;
- freshly squeezed juice from 4 lemons;
- 220 g sugar;
- 120 g butter.
First you need to grate the lemon on a fine grater, trying not to touch the white crust of the fruit, so that there is no bitterness in the taste. The best and easiest way to do this is to keep the lemon in the freezer for a while.
You need to add lemon juice to the grated zest. There are a few tricks to extract more juice. To do this, you need to heat the lemon in the microwave for 15 seconds, and then cut it crosswise rather than lengthwise.
Add eggs, sugar to the mixture and mix everything thoroughly, and then place the container on water bath.
Cook the curd over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5-7 minutes. IN citrus cream add diced butter and continue stirring until thickened for another 2 minutes.
If you don’t like the taste of the zest, then the resulting curd can be strained through a sieve or cheesecloth. I like the thick consistency of lemon cream, so I add 5 g of gelatin at the end. If you add more, you will get a fragrant citrus jelly. From the specified amount of ingredients I got 600 ml of curd.
As you can see, the recipe is quite simple and takes 10-15 minutes including preparation. This time I poured the cooled lemon curd into jars and put it in the refrigerator to steep. Like this delicious gift I cooked it for my loved ones!
Popular dessert recipes
If you are not afraid of difficulties, then you should be interested in recipes for making citrus cream from famous chefs and food bloggers. For example, Andrey Rudkovsky, better known as Andy Chef, on his blog shares a recipe for lemon curd, which is closer to classic version. The result is a bright yellow cream with a thick consistency.
Lemon curd. Recipe from Andy Chef
It uses the following proportions of its constituent components:
- zest of one lemon;
- lemon juice – 115 g;
- egg yolk – 4;
- sugar – 75 g;
- butter – 60 g.
The ingredients in this recipe are almost identical to many others, the only difference is that only egg yolks are used. So, first you need to grate the zest from one lemon. At the same time, Chef Andy believes that it is not necessary to use a fine grater, since he always strains the citrus mixture afterwards.
In a saucepan, whisk the sugar, yolks, squeezed juice and zest and place on medium heat. As soon as the sugar dissolves, you need to add butter and stir constantly. Gradually the cream will begin to thicken. Andrey advises using 3 tablespoons of starch if you want to achieve a dense consistency. After 5-7 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat, strain through a sieve or cheesecloth and pour into glass containers.
Lemon curd from Jamie Oliver
I am a devoted fan of the English chef Jamie Oliver, a popular restaurateur and promoter of home cooking and principles healthy eating. Many people love his recipe for making lemon curd, although at first glance it may seem a little more complicated than others.
I suggest watching a video in which the author prepares citrus cream according to Jamie Oliver's recipe.
Experienced cooks and confectioners who often prepare this dessert share their tricks on how to make lemon curd even more tasty and aromatic. First of all, they remind you that lemons without zest cannot be stored. If you were unable to immediately use them to prepare a dish, then you need to immediately squeeze out the juice and place it in the freezer to preserve the taste and beneficial properties.
As I wrote above, it is easiest to grate the zest from a chilled lemon, and some chefs say that you can even freeze it a little. By classic recipe You must add zest to lemon curd. If you don’t like its taste, you can strain the cream, but without this component the cream will not be fragrant.
If you are using small eggs, increase the quantity. It's better to have more of them than less. Otherwise, the curd will not thicken and will remain liquid. In this form, you can certainly enjoy its unique taste, but you won’t be able to make a cake with lemon curd in this consistency.
Remember that before adding eggs to lemon juice, you need to beat them well with sugar so that there are no lumps left, which can then curl in a water bath. Ready lemon curd can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 month, but I am sure that you will eat it much sooner.
This fruit dessert captivates with its tenderness and pronounced lemon taste. There are many ways to make lemon curd, but our recipe offers the easiest and fastest.
The curd is prepared according to the principle of custard with the addition of lemon juice, which is squeezed out right there. Usually kurd is made in a water bath, but with our cooking method you can do without it. Eggs, with the specified amount of granulated sugar and citric acid, will not curl up. So the mixture can be heated simply on the stove in a container convenient for this.
Kurd can be eaten on its own for dessert. For example, with tea. And it can be used as a regular cream: with pancakes, for coating cakes, in buns, in custard pies, etc.
The Kurd also has a feature that it is advisable to know about. The more oil it contains, the more delicate its taste. Therefore, if you want a calmer taste, add twice as much oil as is given in the recipe. If you want a less calorie product, but a stronger lemon flavor, do not add oil at all. True, in the latter case it will no longer be Kurd, but some completely new cream.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 egg
- 15 grams butter
- 50 grams of granulated sugar
Preparation
1. Wash the lemon and wipe with a towel. Using the finest grater, remove the zest from it. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon.
2. Mix in a bowl lemon zest and juice. Add sugar. Rub everything together with a spatula or directly with your fingers. You need to grind so that the sugar is saturated with the aroma of the zest.
3. Add 1 egg and beat.
4. We do this with a regular fork and not too actively, without the formation of foam.
5. Now filter the resulting mixture through a fine strainer.
6. Turn on medium heat on the stove and place a saucepan on it in which we will cook the dessert. Place a piece of butter in a pan and pour in the resulting mixture.
7. Cook with constant stirring until the mixture thickens.
8. Remove the finished cream from the stove, transfer it to a bowl, cool and serve for tea. Or put it in a jar or food storage container with a lid and put it in the refrigerator. Kurd retains its taste and condition for quite a long time, literally up to several weeks. True, you won’t be able to preserve it for that long; the curd is eaten very quickly!
If the resulting curd seems too sour to you (and it should be sour), try partially replacing the lemon juice with something else, but also citrus.
Note to the hostess
1. It is difficult to detect that the lemon was treated with something to protect it from spoilage, since its skin itself seems to be artificial. However, most often there is a protective layer on the peel of citrus fruits, and it must be completely removed. Contrary to popular belief, boiling water does not cope well with the task. A hard dish sponge is the device you need to use to treat the fruit after scalding. Then you should still hold it under running water.
2. Ghee is not suitable for making custard desserts. It leaves a specific taste in them. For any cream, it is recommended to purchase an expensive, high-quality product, but never a spread.
3. All thick culinary mixtures with sugar that sit on low heat for a long time tend to bake into the pan. Burning to enamel cookware occurs the fastest. Metal-ceramic, on the contrary, is the safest in this regard.
4. Lemon curd can cause allergies. Gourmets predisposed to negative reactions to citrus fruits should not eat it with spoons, like jam. And 5-6 crackers, thinly spread with a pleasant sweet and sour mixture, will not harm anyone, and in terms of calorie content, such a dose of tasty vitamin food is optimal.
What is such a sweet dish as lemon curd? You will learn about this from the materials in this article.
General information
Lemon curd, or so-called lemon curd, is very common in North America, Great Britain, and other countries. This dessert is made from chicken eggs, lemon, granulated sugar and butter.
After heat treatment, the mass acquires a creamy consistency and is quite reminiscent of pudding. Lemon zest gives this cream a special aroma and taste.
Dessert history
Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in England, lemon curd homemade very often served with fresh rolls or bread as a jam substitute. It was also used as a filling for baked goods.
Modern variations of lemon curd, including industrial production, are still actively used for toast, buns, muffins and even ice cream.
Since the 19th century, the favorite dessert of many Americans and British is delicious lemon pie with meringue.
Difference from custard
What is the difference between lemon curd, the photo of which is presented in this article, and regular custard? Experienced chefs claim that the first version of the dessert contains a large amount of lemon juice and its zest. Thus, this delicacy has a stronger aroma and pronounced taste.
It should also be noted that lemon cream containing butter has a creamier and smoother texture than custard dessert, in which, as a rule, not cooking fat is used, but starch or flour.
Lemon curd is very rarely eaten as a separate dish. By the way, instead of the mentioned fruit, other citrus fruits, as well as berries and so on, can be added to it.
Lemon curd: recipe with photos
It should be immediately noted that this sweet and aromatic dish is intended for special lemon connoisseurs. It has a very delicate texture and slightly sour notes.
What ingredients do we need to make lemon curd? Recipe for this unusual delicacy includes the following components:
Using the listed components in the quantities in which they are indicated, you will get approximately 400 g of amazingly tasty and delicate cream.
Cooking process
There is nothing complicated about making lemon curd. But if you are making such a cream for the first time, we recommend that you strictly follow all the rules of the recipe.
Medium-sized lemons are thoroughly washed and dried. Then carefully remove the yellow zest from them and grate it on the smallest grater. After this, squeeze all the juice from the lemons into a separate bowl. To deprive it of pulp, it is passed through a sieve.
Having processed the lemons, proceed to preparing the remaining ingredients. Chicken eggs stir with a whisk, and then add granulated sugar to them. After this, lemon juice is poured into them and the bowl is placed on a pan of very boiling water.
Heat the ingredients in a water bath for about ¼ hour, stirring regularly with a large spoon. In this case, the egg mass should thicken noticeably.
After the described steps, remove the cream from the stove and cool slightly. Meanwhile, take soft butter and add previously prepared lemon zest to it. Both components are mixed and added to the sweet egg mixture. In this case, the cooking fat should completely melt.
The cream in which the oil is laid out acquires a rich yellow color and also becomes more aromatic.
At this point, the process of preparing lemon curd is considered complete.
How to store and use?
Lemon Curd Cake is a great treat that is perfect for the whole family. If you decide to make such a dessert, we recommend using sponge cakes. By the way, for greater richness, you can also add a little lemon zest to them.
After the lemon cream is ready, cover it with cling film and leave to cool. After several scratches, it can be safely used for applying to sponge cakes. If they are not ready yet, it is recommended to transfer the lemon curd into a glass jar with a lid and place it in the refrigerator. In this form it can be stored for up to one and a half weeks.
Making lemon curd with meringue
As mentioned above, lemon cream can be used to prepare various desserts. One of the most popular delicacies in America is the legendary lemon pie. It turns out very sweet, so it should be consumed in doses and with unsweetened tea.
What products do we need to make this dessert? How to make lemon curd? The recipe for this cream was presented above. As for the dough and meringue, for them we will need:
Kneading and heat treatment of dough
To prepare the base, place white flour, table salt, cold butter, cut into cubes, into a blender bowl. granulated sugar. All ingredients are chopped at high speed until fatty crumbs are obtained. After that they pour in her cold water and quickly knead the dough.
Having received a homogeneous base, a ball is formed from it, wrapped in cling film and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After time, the dough is taken out, rolled out into a layer 3 mm thick and transferred to a mold.
The base is placed tightly on the bottom of the dish, forming high sides. It is pierced in several places with a fork, foil is placed and a load in the form of beans, rice, peas or small metal is added.
The formed semi-finished product is sent to an oven preheated to 175 degrees and baked for about ¼ hour.
After the described actions, the base is removed and the foil with the load is removed.
Preparing meringue
The meringue for this pie is easy and quick to prepare. Place the slightly cooled whites in a deep bowl and beat with a mixer until stiff peaks form. At the same time, granulated sugar is gradually added to them.
Having made a fluffy and airy mass, it is immediately used for its intended purpose. Otherwise, it will settle, and the cake will not turn out as beautiful as we would like.
Forming dessert
To form the American pie, add all the lemon curd to the previously prepared and partially baked base, smoothing the surface with a large spoon. After this, heavily whipped sweet whites are placed on the bright yellow cream. If desired, they can be placed in a culinary syringe and placed on the surface of the dessert in the form of flowers and other patterns.
Heat treatment process
After forming the American lemon pie, it is immediately sent to the oven. At a temperature of 200 degrees, the dessert is baked for ¼ hour (maybe a little longer). During this time, the dough should be completely baked, and the meringue should set, transforming into a tender meringue that melts in your mouth.
We present it to the festive table
After american pie with lemon curd and meringue is ready, carefully remove it from the oven and place it in a cool room.
After the dessert has cooled completely, it is removed from the mold using a wide spatula and placed on the cake pan. Having beautifully cut the pie into portioned pieces, they are distributed into saucers and served to family members along with unsweetened black tea.
Let's sum it up
In addition to meringue pie and cake, you can make other desserts with the mentioned cream. For example, lemon cupcakes with lemon curd are very tasty. It is also good to use for filling muffins, decorating various cakes, etc.
The total cooking time for lemon curd is about 30 minutes. To prevent this cream from becoming bitter, it is recommended to add only lemon zest to it, avoiding white films.
Preparing lemon curd is simple - you only need five ingredients, and the cream is cooked in literally 10 minutes. Lemon yolk curd is thick, with a rich taste and aroma, but not sour or too sweet.
What is Kurd? For those who don't know, lemon curd is a thick creamy cream with an intense sweet and sour lemon flavor. As mentioned above, lemon custard is easy to prepare from available products, so it can be included not only in the holiday menu, but also in the everyday menu.
Where to use lemon curd? The custard recipe has many uses; baked goods with Kurd include, but are not limited to, biscuits and cakes, tartlets filled with Kurd, and macaroons. In addition, they use classic Kurd for, pour it over pancakes and serve it on buns, add it to cake cream or simply spread it on toast.
Lemon curd, a classic recipe, consists of five ingredients: egg yolks, fresh lemons, sugar, salt and butter. All ingredients play an important role, so Kurd without butter and eggs or without butter and sugar will taste completely different than the classic version.
Lemon custard is made thicker, somewhat similar to pudding, egg yolks, lemons, respectively, are added to the curd for taste, sugar adds sweetness and allows you to achieve the desired consistency, salt balances the taste, and butter is added at the very end of cooking the curd - after how it cooks and thickens.
DoughVed advises. In order for the lemon custard curd according to this recipe to thicken and the eggs not to curdle, you must cook it in a water bath, stirring constantly. When constructing the water bath, be sure to keep the top bowl away from the boiling water, otherwise the egg yolks will cook and curdle.
Filter ready cream there is absolutely no need - just grate the zest on a fine grater. In cooked cream it only adds taste and aroma and does not affect its texture at all. But if you still want the most uniform consistency of the cream, strain it before pouring it into a jar. If you partially replace the lemon zest with orange zest, you get lemon-orange curd.
15 minutes to prepare
10 minutes to prepare
220 kcal per 100 g
Lemon curd - a recipe for cream on yolks for baking: cakes, pies, cupcakes, tartlets.
Make lemon custard at home; Kurd can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen for future use.
The butter must be removed from the refrigerator in advance. By the time the cream is cooked, it must not be cold, but at room temperature.
Ingredients
- large egg yolks – 4 pcs.;
- granulated sugar - two-thirds of a glass (130 g);
- lemons – 3 pcs.;
- salt - on the tip of a teaspoon;
- butter – 80-90 g.
Preparation
- If the lemon curd does not thicken or thickens slowly during cooking, turn up the heat a little. Do not forget that the custard must be stirred constantly.
- You can store the cream in the refrigerator for 10 days, and if you freeze it in the freezer for future use, the shelf life of the curd can be extended to three months. Before eating, remove frozen curd from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a mandatory ingredient for making Kurd; Without it, the cream will not acquire the desired consistency.
Lemon curd, a fruit cream created in the likeness of custard, came to us from English cuisine and immediately deservedly won everyone's favor. The dessert has a citrus aroma, thick texture and can be used in a variety of ways, while its simplicity and ease of preparation make the dish universal and attractive.
How to make lemon curd?
Lemon curd is a custard made from fruit juice that has a balanced taste, color and citrus aroma. Kurd does not require exotic ingredients: eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and butter allow you to quickly and easily create such a delicacy. Its only difference from custard is the absence of milk and flour.
- To prepare dessert, use only fresh lemon juice.
- It is necessary to remove the zest from the citrus fruits, squeeze out the juice and combine with eggs and sugar. Add oil.
- Lemon curd is cooked in a water bath, which helps avoid lumps and curdling of the eggs.
- The cream is cooked until completely thick and immediately removed from the stove.
- The finished mass should be cooled at room temperature, covered with film and placed in the refrigerator.
- As it cools, the cream will thicken. If necessary, whipped cream will help to dilute the thickness.
Lemon curd is a recipe based on the technique of making custard. The difference is that the fruit mass has a lighter texture, less fat content and a less cloying taste. Such qualities are suitable for biscuits, giving the latter the desired oiliness. But Kurd is not suitable for decoration because it is not able to hold its shape.
Ingredients:
- egg - 2 pcs.;
- lemon - 2 pcs.;
- sugar - 70 g;
- butter - 55 g.
Preparation
- Grind the lemon zest on a grater.
- Squeeze out citrus juice, strain and mix with zest.
- Add eggs, sugar, beat and place in a water bath for 15 minutes.
- Add butter to the thickened mass, stir and remove from heat.
- Cool the lemon curd and place it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
Lemon-orange curd has a rich taste, wonderful aroma and is one of the rare healthy desserts. IN this dish the balance of sour and sweet is clearly maintained, which allows you not only to decorate baked goods, but also to serve it as a separate delicacy, poured into bowls. The cream is easy to prepare and will take no more than half an hour.
Ingredients:
- orange - 2 pcs.;
- lemon - 1 pc.;
- sugar - 180 g;
- butter - 110 g;
- egg - 3 pcs.
Preparation
- Grind the lemon and orange zest.
- Squeeze out the citrus pulp.
- Mix sugar with eggs, add butter, zest and juice.
- Bring to a boil in a water bath and cook the lemon custard for 15 minutes.
Citrus curd invigorates, refreshes and goes well with homemade butter and shortbread pastry. The speedy dessert has features, knowing which you can get the perfect cream. Thus, by increasing the amount of sugar, you can regulate the excess acid, and short heating of the fruit in the microwave guarantees an abundance of juice from lemons and limes.
Ingredients:
- lime - 2 pcs.;
- lemon - 2 pcs.;
- sugar - 180 g;
- egg - 3 pcs.;
- butter - 60 g.
Preparation
- Grind the lemon and lime zest.
- Mix it with sugar and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Squeeze the juice from the citrus fruits.
- Add juice and butter to sugar.
- Place the cream in a water bath for 15 minutes.
- Strain the lemon curd through a sieve and cool.
Eggless lemon curd
Eggless curd has a dense and stable texture, and therefore is used in baking. You can’t make complex decorations from it, but small and simple patterns are fine. Potato or cornstarch will replace eggs and create a cream of the desired thickness. This recipe is economical, which makes it easy and simple to decorate sweets.
Ingredients:
- lemon - 1 pc.;
- powdered sugar - 50 g;
- corn starch - 60 g;
- butter - 75 g.
Preparation
- Remove the zest from the citrus fruit and squeeze out the juice.
- Mix starch with powder and add to lemon mixture.
- Add the oil and place the cream in a water bath.
- Strain the thick lemon curd through a sieve, cool and use as intended.
Lemon curd with the addition of gelatin is similar in texture to and preparation technique - with custard. Separately beaten eggs with sugar, mixed with lemon juice and cook until thick. Since the composition includes gelatin, the cream is stable, viscous and perfect as a base for a cake or filling tarts.
Ingredients:
- gelatin sheet - 2.5 g;
- water - 100 ml;
- lemon - 2 pcs.;
- sugar - 130 g;
- egg - 3 pcs.;
- butter - 80 g.
Preparation
- Before making lemon curd, soak the gelatin in water.
- Remove the zest from the lemon, squeeze out the juice, add half the sugar and heat.
- Beat the eggs with the remaining sugar and add to the lemon mixture.
- Boil for 3 minutes, add gelatin and butter.
- Blend the lemon curd in a blender and leave to cool.
Lemon curd on yolks
Experts say that citrus curd on yolks is the only correct cooking technology, giving an unimaginably tasty and delicate texture. The delicacy can be used as an independent dish, or as a spread in any combination. It makes an excellent layer for cakes and...
Ingredients:
- yolk - 4 pcs.;
- sugar - 100 g;
- lemon - 2 pcs.;
- butter - 70 g.
Preparation
- Before preparing the curd, remove the zest from the lemons and grind it with sugar.
- Squeeze out the citrus pulp.
- Mix and place in a water bath for 10 minutes.
- Add oil and refrigerate.
Kurd - a recipe for a cake, differs from previous versions in the cooking technique. The cream is simmered over low heat without a water bath and turns into a thick viscous mass that holds its shape. This consistency is appropriate for. Chopped strawberries go well with lemon juice, adding freshness and flavor.
Ingredients:
- fresh strawberries - 300 g;
- butter - 100 g;
- sugar - 150 g;
- lemon juice - 40 ml;
- egg - 5 pcs.
Preparation
- Grind the strawberries in a blender.
- Add lemon juice.
- Beat eggs with sugar.
- Combine the egg mixture with the fruit mixture. Add oil.
- Place the cream on the fire and stir until you achieve the desired thickness.
Lemon curd with cream
Kurd is a recipe with which you can achieve the desired texture, adjust the taste and calorie content of the dish. So, by adding cream to the citrus cream, you can correct the excess density and give the dessert airiness and lightness. It should be remembered that the mass must be thickened and completely cooled, and
Ingredients:
- eggs - 3 pcs.;
- sugar - 150 g;
- lemon juice - 80 ml;
- lemon zest - 1 teaspoon;
- butter - 60 g;
- cream - 60 ml;
- powdered sugar - 20 g.
Preparation
- Beat the eggs with sugar, pour in the juice and place in a water bath.
- Strain the thickened mixture, add oil and zest.
- Whip the cream and powder and add to the chilled curd.
You will never get tired of the taste of lemon curd. Moreover, it is gentle and light dessert It is varied, simple, and can decorate not only any pastry, but also act as an independent dish. Many housewives cook for future use due to lack of time, and therefore the question of how long Kurd can be stored always remains relevant.
- To ensure that the dish retains its taste, cool it at room temperature, sealing it with film.
- After natural cooling, place the curd in a sterile glass container, close with a clean lid and place in the refrigerator at a temperature of at least 6 degrees.
- If you follow the rules, Kurd can be stored for about 2 weeks.
