Meyer Lemon Curd

One of the things I look forward to most every winter is the abundance of citrus fruit that makes its way to my local stores. All of the different varieties of oranges, the grapefruit, and especially the Meyer lemons. I’m rarely as excited about a grocery store find as I am the one or two times a year I come across Meyer lemons. The window of opportunity seems so short here so I always stock up, and then I hoard the lemons in my fridge, not wanting to use them all up for fear I won’t be able to find them again 🙂 Sometimes I leave a bowl of them sitting on the island in my kitchen, and within a day or so their fragrant aroma has spread throughout the first level of my house. And let me tell you, it’s better than any candle I’ve ever bought!

I never have much trouble deciding what to make with my citrus fruit, curd is pretty much always on the top of the list. It’s so versatile – you can use it to fill or top cupcakes, make ice cream, spread on toast or muffins, or just eat it with a spoon (guilty!).  My only minor complaint about curd recipes is that they generally call for only egg yolks, which means leftover egg whites I need to try and find a use for. Given how much ice cream I make, there’s always an abundance of egg whites in my freezer, and I try to avoid adding to the problem when I can. That’s why I am such a big fan of this recipe – it uses whole eggs, and only 2 of them! As a result, the curd is a bit less vibrant in color than others I’ve made, but no less delicious. This was my first time making Meyer lemon curd, but it certainly won’t be my last; the Meyers really are special! That said, if you can’t find Meyers, you could definitely use regular lemons to make this recipe, though you will probably want to increase the amount of sugar since Meyers are sweeter than your typical lemon.

Meyer Lemon Curd
adapted slightly from Gourmet, December 1999 (via Confections of a Foodie Bride)

{Note: you can make the recipe with regular lemons too, just increase the sugar to 3/4 cup.}

1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice (from about 4 Meyer lemons)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the lemon juice, zest, sugar and eggs together until well combined. Add the butter and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, whisking almost constantly, until the curd has thickened and registers 160 F on an instant read thermometer. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a second heatproof bowl. Allow to cool slightly, then press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface and store in the refrigerator. The curd will keep for a week.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups