Baking Obsession

I absolutely adore the lemon curd. It’s delicious with crêpes, scones or a toast. Add a bit of whipped cream to the curd; and you’ve got an instant lemon mousse. You can go further and layer this mousse with broken shortbread cookies in a pretty glass. Top with fresh berries and, voila, simple and elegant dessert assembled in no time at all.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
• 6 large egg yolks (free-range egg yolks make the most colorful curd)
• 1 cup sugar
• Grated zest of 4 lemons, divided in half
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Preparation:

Combine the lemon juice, egg yolks, sugar, an the zest of two lemons in a heavy nonreactive saucepan. Whisk until smooth. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until hot, 5-10 minutes. The mixture should begin to thicken as the temperature increases. Once thick (it should coat the back of the spoon), reduce the heat and cook for another 5 – 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Don’t let the mixture come to a boil, or the yolks will curdle.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the curd into a bowl. Stir in the remaining lemon zest and butter until the butter has completely melted. Cool slightly before using. The curd can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to a week.