Meyer Lemon Curd

Hungry Hogareno's Note:

Delicious in a pie or tart or as a spread on a biscuit or muffin. I came up with this recipe after being presented with two gigantic bags of Meyer lemons...Thanks, Sharon. Spooned into some decorative jelly jars, it made for some very welcome holiday & host gifts. If you like, this can also be made with lime or grapefruit in place of the lemon juice and zest. The secret to prevent curdling is to start out the cooking low and slow; when it smooths out, then turn the heat up to medium and stir constantly until it's done.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 4 cups

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, 6 ounces, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 1/3 cups fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar, 2 to 3 minutes with an electric mixer. With mixer on low speed, add eggs and yolks one at a time until incorporated. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will come together during the cooking process.
2. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat, stirring gently until it looks smooth. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. This will take about 15-30 minutes. The curd is done cooking when it coats a spoon and should leave a trail if you draw a finger across the back. For best results, use a candy thermometer and cook to 170°. Do not let it come to a boil. If it does overcook and curdles, pour curd through a fine-mesh sieve when done cooking to strain out the curdled parts.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the zest. Transfer to a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap over the top to prevent a skin from forming while it cools. After it cools down a bit, chill in the refrigerator; it will thicken more as it chills. If you aren't planning on using it right away, transfer to clean jars or a tightly covered container. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for about a week and will freeze up to two months.