Homemade lemon curd is practically the definition of low-effort, high-reward food. Our favorite version, below, is made with whole eggs. Variations made with just egg yolks are more dense—good for pie or cake filling—but this lemon curd recipe results in a luscious but light sauce to spread on scones or biscuits, dollop on pavlova or cheesecake, or eat all on its own with a little whipped cream.
Regular old lemons are perfect here, but if you spot Meyer lemons at your local market, you can swap them in for a sweeter lemon flavor. Got a heap of limes, grapefruit, or really tart mandarins? Those all work, too, and can even be combined for a multi-citrus curd.
To make it, fashion a double boiler on your stovetop using a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. The low heat cooks the lemon curd gently as you whisk. This is not the time to step away—while you don’t need to whisk vigorously, the curd should be in constant motion so that it thickens evenly without curdling. To finish, you’ll transfer the warm curd to a blender and add the butter piece by piece, allowing each one to integrate fully before continuing. (The blender method turns out the lightest curd possible, but you could also do this part off heat, continuing with the bowl and whisk if preferred.) Either way, be sure to wipe the bottom of the bowl when pulling it off the heat so that you don’t dilute your curd by accidentally dripping in condensation.
While the curd is cooling, cover the surface with wax paper or plastic wrap to prevent the top layer from drying out, but let it come to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container and sticking in the refrigerator.
Recipe information
Total Time
15 minutes plus cooling
Yield
Makes 1½ cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high. Whisk lemon juice, sugar, and eggs, in a medium heatproof bowl; place over pot of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened, 5–6 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and transfer to a blender. With blender running, slowly add butter, 1 piece at a time; blend until butter is completely incorporated.
Step 2
Transfer lemon curd to a small bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
Do ahead: Lemon curd can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in May 2012.
