It's the middle of the night and all I can think about is cupcakes. Lemon Curd cupcakes to be exact. Let's just set the record straight: I've never liked lemon desserts. I'm not a tart + sweet = happy kind of gal. I love limes but tend to de-tart the recipes I use them in and have never been motivated to do that with lemons, until now.
Those darn cupcakes. They were light, fluffy, unexpectedly delightful, and they have stayed in my mind for days. Many thanks to Nic for dragging me quite unwillingly (um, yeah) to The Chocolate where we each selected tasty concoctions. Mine? Caramel Chocolate. Hers? Lemon Curd. Despite my love of all things chocolate, hers was better. I was filled with a tiny twinge of cupcake envy. It was perfection in a baked good! My new obsession is creating a light and delightfully lemony treat of my own. Which simply must start with the quest for the perfect lemon curd.
Attempt 1: Alton Brown's Lemon Curd
Verdict: Beautiful light creamy color, whisking while cooking is a pain in the rear and something I've never had success with. This recipe was no exception. Didn't cook long enough so it didn't thicken properly. Plus I thought I'd be brilliant and use the whisk attachment to my immersion blender to save some elbow grease. Now I just get to scrub my kitchen. Again.
Attempt 2: Fine Cooking's Lemon Curd for Scottish Shortbread and unique assembly instructions, but cooked in a double boiler.
Verdict: Came together beautifully and simply. No curdling or weirdness, no constant stirring necessary with the double boiler but I did anyway. However, the recipe is far TOO TART for me. A very pretty bright yellow color.
Attempt 3: Joy of Baking Lemon Curd, using the creaming assembly instructions from attempt 2 and cooked in a double boiler
Verdict: Came together easily and made a smaller batch (a definite plus). Quite similar in appearance to attempt 2, but not as tart since it uses half as much lemon juice.
Attempt 4: Decided that I now have some smidgen of an idea what I am doing and dumped attempt 1 back into the double boiler to cook her some more.
Verdict: This worked! Even though it had been sitting in the fridge for an hour it cooked up just great. Still light and fluffy, great texture, but now thick enough to deserve the name "curd."
Alton's definitely has the best flavor. It's more custardy thanks to using only yolks, and the cursed whisking made it fluffier. This was not a surprise to me, as I happen to be an Alton groupie. His recipes always make my heart happy and my tummy full. I learned a lot reading the comments the other two sites though and think that the creaming before cooking method is brilliant. Besides, it lets me use my Kitchen Aid which we all know fills my soul with joy and happiness.
Now the quest for the perfect not-too-lemony-yet-delightfully-perfect treats can begin. Good thing this stuff freezes well (supposedly!)!! Let's just hope my friends and family like lemon. They may be eating it for a while.
(I wrote this a couple weeks ago and never posted it. Buglet was gone all of Easter week and it was my spring break, which is the only reason I could stay up until 2:00 a.m. making ridiculous amounts of lemon curd. You should have seen my fridge; 3 cartons of yogurt, some rice milk, 2 potatoes, an onion, 2 eggs, and 3 batches of lemon curd. I think I have food priority issues. Photo credit: ?? Found on various sources through Google and no idea who gets credit but I. HEART. HIM.)
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2 comments:
I made lemon curd once; it was wonderful in the best cake I've ever made....that was a once in a lifetime event too. Now if I want lemon curd I buy it. I know I'm a slacker.
MMMMMMM... Lemons... I am thinking that the ones on my window sill would look lovely in a little bowl made of paper that I won from someone special once upon a time ;-)
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