Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd is just another one of those wonderful things to have on hand. This recipe makes enough for a tart or at least 18 tartlets, with leftover lemon curd. Leftovers are what you are looking for here. This stuff is heavenly by itself, on a muffin, toast, scone, pound cake, etc. It saves for at least a week in the refrigerator and can also be canned.

Prep time is about 15 minutes and cook time about 10.

Lemon Curd
3 cups
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3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
4 extra large eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 or 4 lemons), never the bottled stuff
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix to combine.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

You can now fill a tart shell, or the frozen (thawed) miniature phyllo tart shells from the grocery. Either may be topped with raspberries and/or whipped cream.