Actually all lemon curd is easy.  And I know a lot of people don’t think so because they say things to me like ‘Did you make this lemon curd yourself?!!!!’  So I thought I should clarify how easy it is to make it.  I’ve gathered from Bake Off competitions and my friends’ baking confessions that the main problem is the lemon curd stays too liquid and isn’t allowed to thicken enough.  So there you have it, please don’t be in a hurry or think you must treat the curd delicately.  It’s meant to boil and then simmer well while you stir vigorously for at least a minute or two.  This cooks off the cornflour and makes sure you don’t have too much water in the curd.  Hey, I’ll just give you the recipe here with all the tips so you can make the perfect lemon curd, thick enough and just the right amount of tangy.

This story started with a French online recipe many years ago, and with some changes along the way I found my go-to lemon curd.  Yipee!

• finely-grated zest of 1 lemon
• 75ml/g freshly-squeezed lemon juice (about 1 and a half or 2 lemons)
• 100g/1/2 cup less 1 teaspoon golden or white caster/superfine sugar (or granulated)
• 1 egg (60g) and 1 egg yolk (20g) – from medium-large eggs
• half a tablespoon cornflour stirred and diluted in a teaspoon or more cold water
• 40g/3 tablespoons good-quality unsalted butter

Chill for a few hours before using.  The plastic film is on contact with no air between the film and curd to protect from bacteria developing.  But if you want to store the curd for longer then pour when hot into a sterilized glass jar (heat a clean jar in an oven on low at 100 degrees centigrade for 10 minutes).  If you want to use your curd more quickly place it in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes.

Spread it on toast, fill a sponge cake or some macarons!  Have fun with your lemon curd. 🙂