lemon curd - my first attempt was a delicious success

Mix all the ingredients in the food processor (nothing curdling here!).

Pour into a heavy bottom pan.

Stir - stir - take it's temperature - stir.

STOP when you see this - remove pan from stovetop.

Lick your fingers numerous times at this point.  This stuff is unbelievably good!

Strain to achieve satin.

Photo session

As a quick synopsis, I mixed all the ingredients in the food processor, cooked in my All Clad pan, took it's temperature, and strained into my grandmother's antique pitcher.  Oh, and I tasted - several times.  It is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

The lemon curd is one of the ingredients used in this month's "Sweet and Simple Bakes" recipe for lemon curd muffins. 

I read about 5 recipes for lemon curd, and combined parts of several to make this lemon curd.

Lemon Curd - -

zest of 3 lemons

1 cup (193g) granulated sugar

5 tablespoons very soft unsalted butter

3 large eggs

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained to remove pulp and seeds

Pulse the zest and the sugar in a food processor for about a minute.

Add the soft butter to the food processor and pulse again for about 30 seconds. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the mixture in the food processor.  Pulse 2 or 3 times between each egg addition.

With the food processor running, slowly pour in the lemon juice.  Continue to mix until all ingredients are incorporated - just a few more seconds.

Pour into a heavy bottom pan and cook on LOW, stirring constantly.  I cooked and stirred for about 10 minutes, gradually increasing the temperature from Low to Medium Low.  Watch closely when the temperature reaches 160 degrees F.  The curd will reach the proper consistency very quickly at this point.  Mine was ready at about 165 degrees F.

Remove from stove.  Test with a wooden spoon and your finger (this is to allow you your first taste!).  If the trail from your finger remains on the wooden spoon, the curd has properly cooked.

Let cool slightly.  Strain into glass dish and cover with plastic wrap.  Punch a few holes in the plastic wrap to allow the steam to escape; place the plastic wrap directly on top of the lemon curd.

(There were no pieces of cooked egg to strain out of the mixture.  The only accumulation in my strainer was some of the lemon zest that did not chop finely in the food processor.)

Store in the refrigerator for a week, or freeze.  Yield about 1 1/2 cups of lemon curd.