Guest Author - Anita Burroughs

Lemon curd is a wonderfully versatile dessert that can be used in a variety of ways. You can use it to fill a pie shell or tartlet pastry, and then adorn the pastry with fresh fruit; strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are my favorite. I often serve lemon curd as part of an elegant afternoon tea, filling a large bowl with it, and having guests use it to eat atop the largest and freshest strawberries I can find. Some people also love to use it as you would jam, serving it on toast or a brioche for breakfast.

The beauty of lemon curd is that it can be made ahead of time, and then simply taken out of your refrigerator and served when you are having guests. And here’s a secret if you really are short on time…there are great ready-to-eat lemon curd products available at your supermarket or other specialty food stores. My favorite is the Barefoot Contessa’s brand lemon curd, which tastes identical to the beloved Ina Garten’s recipe from her Barefoot Contessa series cookbooks. If you are not familiar with Garten, one of the stars of the Food Network on television, all of her cookbooks and products are wonderful. The food products are increasingly available in grocery stores, and are also distributed by Stonewall Kitchens if there is a store in your neck of the woods.

If you have the time, here is a very simple recipe for lemon curd:

4 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup lemon juice (use only fresh lemon juice!)
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature; you should cut these into small pieces

In a large metal or other heatproof bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice. Please, please do not use bottled lemon juice for this recipe, as it will not have a fraction of the flavor as using fresh lemons. Place the entire mixture set over a pan of simmering water. I often use a large frying pan as the base in which to place the water. Whisk continually until the mixture thickens, about ten minutes.

Then, remove the bowl from the stove and one by one, add the small pieces of butter. Whisk the butter quickly into the mixture before everything cools off. Strain the lemon curd into a clean bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the lemon curd. I use a Tupperware like container, and then place the container lid on top of the plastic wrap. I would suggest using the lemon curd within a week.

You can purchase the lemon curd from Amazon if you cannot find it at your local store. If you are looking for a new cookbook, you will love any of Ina Garten’s books.