Easy lemon curd puts crowning touch on baked treats

Creamy citrus spread is perfect to slather on scones, pancakes, tarts and more

Curd. Such an unfortunate word for such a glorious product. While it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, curd, whether it’s made of lemons, limes, blood oranges, or even cranberries, certainly does delight the tastebuds.

Today I’m talking about lemon curd, quite possibly the most popular of the curds, because I had numerous lemons in the fridge which required my undivided attention. One can make lemonade out of lemons, but I choose tasty curd instead, almost as much for the tasty carbs that I bake to go with it.

Lemon curd is a thick, creamy spread that is made by cooking together lemon juice, zest, eggs, egg yolks and sugar. Fresh lemon juice, zest and sugar provide the flavour of the curd, while the eggs and egg yolks serve to thicken the mixture as it cooks. Most curd recipes also call for butter, either at the beginning or the end, just to add a little extra richness. Who doesn’t love richness?

Lemon curd has a bright, sweet-tart lemon flavour, which feels quite luscious when eating by the spoonful. The recipe is quite simple, and it all comes together in about 20 minutes, though you do have to allow a little time for it to chill and set. Fresh lemon juice is best. I avoid the stuff out of the bottle like I avoid gyms and clowns.

My recipe starts off with melting butter, then adding in the lemon zest, juice and sugar. Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl, then gradually whisk them into the hot lemon mixture. Do this gradually so you don’t end up scrambling the eggs. I switch to a heatproof spatula after the eggs have been whisked in, then stir, stir, stir constantly so you don’t scorch the bottom of the curd. You’ll know when the lemon curd is ready by the thickness and by swiping a finger across the spatula. If the line holds, and no curd runs down, it’s done. Remove from the heat.

I dislike eggy bits in my curd, so I strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of the gunk. The result is a creamy, divine lemon curd. Wait until it has chilled some, then spread it over fresh scones, on pancakes or waffles, inside crepes, cakes, pies, tarts, even on top of oatmeal. Name your favourite carbohydrate and chances are you can slather it with lemon curd.

I love fresh scones, so that was my carb of choice when I made the curd. Fresh blueberries went into cream scones, and once they were barely warm, I gave them a good slather of the lemon curd. What a lovely way to enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon, along with a pot of tea and good company. Seeing as it is Mother’s Day this weekend, why not whip up a batch of both and bestow such goodness to that special mother in your life.