Lemon curd.  I bet you didn't even know you needed this in your life!

Because we had an abundance of lemons on our tree, I was looking for ways to  use them.

Coincidentally, my friend, Caroline, sent me a recipe for a Lemon Loaf Cake that she really liked.  (It's delicious, by the way -- I keep eating it for breakfast!)

Wouldn't you know that recipe called for lemon curd!

I've never used lemon curd in my cooking before.

To tell you the truth, I see it at the store all the time.  I pause for a second and wonder what it's used for.

By the time I leave the store, though, my mind has moved on to something else and I don't give it too much thought after that.

So, basically, I pay attention to lemon curd for just a few seconds as I push my cart past the honey/jams/peanut butters.  I've been doing this for years now . . .

Once I got the recipe from Carrie, I knew the time was right to introduce myself to lemon curd.

I could have picked a jar up at the store, but where's the fun in that?

Instead, I sacrificed 15 minutes of my day and made it at home.

I was completely impressed by (1) how easy it was; and (2) how fresh and big the flavor was.

I immediately had to try the recipe with limes and tangerines.

I highly recommend this.  Every version -- lemon, lime and tangerine -- turned out great!

Enjoy! - The Recipe Wench

Easy Lemon Curd

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Prep time	5 minutes
Cook time	10 minutes
Total time	15 minutes
Meal type	Condiment
Slightly adapted from recipe on	Circle B Kitchen

Lemon curd is super easy to make. Store bought lemon curd doesn't compare to the fresh, vibrant lemon flavor of homemade. Add lemon curd to cream cheese for a delicious frosting, put a spoonful on an English muffin for a delightful snack. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients

• grated zest of 1 lemon
• ¾ Cup sugar
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• ¼ Cup fresh lemon juice
• pinch kosher salt

Note

I used this recipe as a base to make lime curd and tangerine curd.  I just swapped out the juice/zest but kept the same proportions.  Amazing!

Check out the recipe for Lemon Loaf Cake too.  The frosting is made with cream cheese and lemon curd.  An excellent cake!

Enjoy! - The Recipe Wench

Directions

Step 1

Mix together the lemon zest and sugar. Cream butter and sugar/lemon mixture. Add eggs one at a time. Add lemon juice and salt. Mix well. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened -- this should take about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Store in refrigerator. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools.