Luscious Homemade Lemon Curd
A bright, buttery lemon curd with a glossy spoon-coating texture, ready to chill for toast, pastries, yogurt, or simple desserts.
Prep 10 min · Cook 5 min · Total 2 hr 15 min · Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 4 Tbsp butter
Directions
- Combine the sugar, egg, and lemon juice in a small sauce pot. Whisk everything well while the pot is still off the stove, until the mixture looks smooth.
- Set the pot over medium heat and whisk without stopping. At first, it will foam quite a bit. Once the mixture gets hot enough for the egg to cook, it will start to thicken and the liquid will stop separating from the froth. This should take about 5 minutes over medium heat, though the exact timing can shift with your cookware. You’re looking for a curd thick enough to cling to a spoon.
- Take the pot off the heat. Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each addition melt completely into the curd before adding the next. As the butter works in, the texture will turn glossier and silkier, with less foam.
- After all the butter has been incorporated, spoon the lemon curd into an air-tight container and refrigerate it until fully chilled. It will continue to thicken as it cools.