Lemon Curd

Times are tough, money is tight, yadda yadda. We all know the drill. So instead of fabulously expensive gifts, I decided to go the homemade route. Cheaper, certainly, but also kinder.

For my parents (and also myself) I made lemon curd. If you've never had it, the best way to describe it is to call it lemon jelly. It's thicker, though, almost custard-like in its consistency. However you describe it, though, you have to include this word: delicious!

Lemon Curd
(from Every Day with Rachel Ray)


Ingredients:
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
* 4 large eggs plus 4 large yolks, beaten
* 1/4 cup finely grated lemon peel (about 3 lemons)
* 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces


Directions:
1. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl next to the stove. In a heavy, medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks and lemon peel. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
2. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring, until the mixture thickens and registers 160° on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Strain the mixture into the prepared bowl, then press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.


If you are going to attempt this recipe, allow me to pass along some advice. When it comes to zesting lemons, a zester is probably the worst thing you could use. Try a microplane. It will make your life much easier. And that whole "zest three lemons"? That's crap - I had to zest every lemon that I squeezed.

Also, I had to simmer my lemon curd for a long time to get it up to the proper temperature. As tempting as it was to crank the heat, don't do it - you don't want to cook the eggs into a scramble.

The magazine has a list of suggestions for you to use this lemon curd. My particular favorite is to stir a dollop into some plain yogurt, and then toss in a bunch of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. This has been my breakfast for the past two days and I have to say, my stomach is really happy.

Bottom line? Labor intensive, but soooooo worth it.