Fruit and Citrus Curds – Lemon, Lime, Rasberry, and Orange

Lemon Tart – Renee Shelton

Fruit curd is a common condiment on the breakfast table and is delicious over toast or waffles for breakfast. Fruit curd is also used in prebaked tart and pie shells for an easy dessert. Typically, a fruit or citrus curd is prepared with citrus juice or a fruit puree that is heated with eggs, yolks, butter, and sugar until the mixture is thickened and cooked. It is generally heated over a bain mare or double boiler.

All citrus curds are characterized by their truly powerful fruit flavors with sweet and sour notes, and creamy, smooth texture. Citrus curd, such as lemon curd, lime curd, and orange curd, all are made with freshly squeezed citrus juice and most recipes will call for grating the rind, too – but just the colored part. Fruit purees are used in place of the fruit juice for a stronger flavor and richer texture in the curd, such as raspberry curd.

Here are some curd recipes to add to your notebook.

Lemon Curd

• 4 eggs, large
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons lemon peel, grated

Beat eggs to break up the yolks, then add all the ingredients to the eggs. Place all the ingredients in a large stainless steel bowl set over simmering water. Using a large wooden spoon, stir until thickened. Mixture will be very hot when done and thickened, and when tested will leave a clean path on the back of the wooden spoon. This can also be made with a whisk instead of a wooden spoon to yield a lighter curd. Transfer to a shallow container and allow to cool before placing in the cooler. Use within a week.

Raspberry Curd

• 20 ounces raspberry puree
• 6 ounces egg yolks
• 7 ounces eggs
• 6 ounces sugar
• 8 ounces butter

Mix all the ingredients together in a stainless steel mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until the mixture is thickened, but do not curdle the eggs. Remove and cool before using. If this is to be used in a tart mold and you want to a firmer consistency to cut into individual pieces, stir in four leaves of softened gelatin after cooking. Pour into cooked shells while the mixture is still warm.