Recipe: 9 Lemon Curd (and other flavors)

LEMON CURD
4 oz. sugar
2 oz. butter
1 egg
1 lemon
Grate rind from lemon, squeeze out juice. Put butter, sugar, rind and juice and melt slowly. Add the egg, well beaten, and stir until mixture thickens. Pour into a jar and label. Use in the same way you would jam or preserves. Can be used as a cake filling.

LIME CURD
1 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp. strained fresh
lime juice
1/2 c. whipping cream
5 extra lg. egg yolks
2 tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsp. grated lime
peel
1 drop green food coloring
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, diced
Mix sugar and cornstarch in heavy small saucepan. Gradually add lime juice, stirring until smooth. Mix in cream, yolks, lime peel, and food coloring. Add butter. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and stir until thickened and butter is melted, about 1 minute. Immediately pour into small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate curd until well chilled. (Can be prepared up to 1 week ahead.)

LEMON CURD
1/2 c. butter
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 c. sugar
5 egg yolks
1 whole egg
TIPS: Because of its high acidic content, lemon curd will keep well when refrigerated. Be sure to thoroughly cook the curd or it will break down and thin out upon standing. 1. Place butter into a metal bowl and set over simmering water in a wide saucepan or skillet. When melted, add the lemon peel, lemon juice and sugar. 2. Using an electric beater or whisk, beat in the egg yolks and the whole egg while the mixture continues to cook. Whisk until thick and smooth, about 20 minutes. Mixture should be as thick as any cooked pudding. 3. Cool. Turn into jars and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use. Yield: 3 cups. Good served as a filling for white cakes, meringue layers, or sweet yeast rolls and Danish pastry, or mixed with whipped cream to fill tiny dessert cream puffs.

ALMOND CURD
2 pkgs. unflavored gelatin
1/2 c. cold water
1 c. boiling water
1 c. milk
1 tbsp. almond extract
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. water
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a mixing bowl and let it soften for 5 minutes. Pour the boiling water into the softened gelatin. Stir until it has completely dissolved, then stir in milk and almond extract. Pour the mixture into a flat 8"x8"x2" cake pan. The Almond Curd should be about 1/2" thick. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or until firmly set. Combine the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water and stir to dissolve completely. Chill in refrigerator. Using a small knife, make diagonal cuts 1/2" apart all the way through the Almond Curd. Repeat in the opposite direction to form diamond shaped pieces. Pour chilled sugar water over and serve cold.

ORANGE CURD
1 c. milk
1 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. frozen orange juice
concentrate, thawed
1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
6 egg yolks
2/3 c. sugar
1 tbsp. flour
In a large saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients over medium heat. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Remove vanilla bean and use a sharp knife to scrape black seeds from bean into milk mixture. Return bean to milk mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together until smooth. Add 1/2 cup milk to egg mixture; stir until well blended. Add egg mixture to remaining milk mixture in saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook over medium-low heat 7 to 10 minutes or until mixture coats the back of spoon. Do NOT boil. Remove from heat, strain mixture. Store in air tight container in refrigerator. Yield: about 2 1/2 cups.

TANGERINE CURD
1/2 stick butter (real butter, please)
3 eggs
1 sm. container frozen tangerine
juice (or orange)
1/2 c. sugar
Beat the eggs thoroughly in the top half of a double boiler. Add the sugar and the tangerine juice and the butter cut into small pieces. Put the pan over hot water and cook until thick.

CITRUS CURD
2 lg. eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. grated orange peel
Few grains of salt
1/3 c. unsalted butter, chilled
In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, whisk together eggs and yolks. Whisk in sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, peels, and salt. Cut butter in cubes and add, stirring constantly; cook mixture until it comes to a boil and thickens. Do not overcook as it will curdle. Pour into a heat-proof glass container. Cover with plastic and refrigerate. Makes 2 cups.

LIME CURD
1 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp. strained fresh
lime juice
1/2 c. whipping cream
5 extra lg. egg yolks
2 tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsp. grated lime
peel
1 drop green food coloring
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, diced
Mix sugar and cornstarch in heavy small saucepan. Gradually add lime juice, stirring until smooth. Mix in cream, yolks, lime peel, and food coloring. Add butter. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and stir until thickened and butter is melted, about 1 minute. Immediately pour into small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate curd until well chilled. (Can be prepared up to 1 week ahead.)

OLD - FASHIONED WALNUT SPICE CAKE WITH LEMON CURD
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted &
cooled
3/4 c. hot water
1/3 c. unsulphured molasses
1/3 c. honey
1 c. chopped walnuts
LEMON CURD FILLING:
6 lg. lemons
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks (unsalted
butter, cut into 12 pieces)
6 eggs, room temperature, beaten to
blend
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 8-inch square baking dish. Sift first 6 ingredients together. Whisk egg and sugar in large bowl to blend. Whisk in butter and lemon peel. Combine hot water, molasses and honey in large cup. Add to butter mixture alternately with dry ingredients, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix in walnuts. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake until springs to touch, about 50 minutes. Cool cake slightly on rack. Cut cake into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature, spooning lemon curd over each piece. Remove peel from lemons (yellow part only), using vegetable peeler. Chop finely in processor. Squeeze lemons and measure 1 cup juice. Heat juice with peel, sugar and butter in double boiler over simmering water until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Strain eggs into lemon mixture. Cook until custard leaves path on bake of spoon when finger is drawn across, stirring constantly, about 20 minutes; DO NOT BOIL. Pour into jar or bowl. Place plastic wrap on surface to prevent skin from forming; let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight before using. This old-fashioned custard is also superb on scones or with fresh fruit. Makes about 3 1/2 cups.