Our lemon curd is famous at the Ballerina Farm store, where we generously drizzle it over swirls of vanilla bean protein ice cream. It is delicious anywhere—on ice cream, yes, but also spread between cake layers, dolloped on yogurt, or eaten directly with a spoon. There is nothing too technical about this recipe, and anyone can make it with success. After preparing it daily for months, our kitchen has fine-tuned the recipe so every batch comes out delectably silky, thick, and tart.
Yields: 2 cups (16 ounces) | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 4 large eggs (200 grams)
- 1 ⅔ cup (125 grams) granulated cane sugar
- 4 to 5 lemons, zested (24 grams) and reserved for juicing
- ⅓ cup (156 grams) lemon juice
- 9 tablespoons (125 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
DIRECTIONS
- Add the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber whisk, whisk until combined (metal whisks can sometimes impart a metallic flavor).
- Fill a medium saucepan with 1- to 2-inches of water and place over medium heat. Once steaming, reduce the heat to medium-low and set the mixing bowl on top.
- Whisk the mixture constantly until thickened into a custard-like consistency that registers 170 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer—about 10 minutes. Strain the curd through a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl.
- While the curd is still hot, add the butter about one tablespoon at a time, whisking to combine between each addition. Continue whisking until all of the butter has been combined, and the curd is cooled to about room temperature.
- Transfer the lemon curd to an airtight container and let cool completely in the fridge. Once cooled, use the lemon curd immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
