Winter's Taste of Sunshine

After baking several cookies using just egg whites, I am left with 6 yolks! So what am I to do with with just yolks? I also have several naked lemons grated just for the peels. As I was having my morning cup of tea, I was struck by how sunny the day is even though it is winter and it occurred to me that I should make some tangy Lemon Curd. It is quick and a good way to use up my leftover supply of yolks and lemons.


This is my adaptation of a little taste of sunshine which makes a bright yellow and very tangy and tart curd.

Lemon Curd
Yields 2 cups

Ingredients
6 egg yolks
6 oz sugar - increase up to 1/4 oz for a sweeter curd.
150ml lemon juice - about 3 lemons
4 oz butter - room temp and cut into tablespoon size pieces
Zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

Whisk sugar into yolks over a bain-marie (water bath). Add salt and pour in the lemon juice and continue whisking over the bain-marie until the temperature reaches 170˚ on a candy thermometer and the curd starts to thicken. Remove the thickened curd from the bain-marie and whisk in pieces of butter one by one. Finally fold in the lemon zest. Pour into a jar and press a plastic wrap onto the surface and leave it to chill in the refrigerator until cold. As mentioned this makes a very tart curd. Although I have a sweet tooth, I am not particularly fond of overly sweet things. The thick consistency makes a good filling for sandwich cookies and cakes.

How thoughtful of mother nature to provide lemons for us in the cold winter months. It really is a taste of sunshine in the midst of winter's cold.