Pucker Up...

For some strange reason, I have this craving for lemon curd. Now eating this delicious concoction on its own, might not be the best way to enjoy it. But, pair it with let's say, Angel Food cake and whipped cream, then it's most enjoyable. The Angel Food cake recipe is from

http://www.southernliving.com/ and the lemon curd recipe that I go to to very often is listed below, after all, you have to do something with the yolks from the Angel Food Cake. This recipe is from "The Pie and Pastry Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-4969127-9466331?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+pie+and+pastry+bible .

For those of you that love to bake, this book will one of your go-tos again and again. She has recipes from fruit pies to cream puff pastry. This books shows you techniques and equipment, too.

Classic Lemon Curd

2 teaspoons/4 grams of finely grated lemon zest

4 large egg yolks/74 grams

3/4 cup sugar/150 grams

6 tablespoons/3 fluid ounces/94 grams lemon juice freshly squeezed and strained(about 2 1/2 large lemons)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter/57 grams ,cut into pieces or softened

salt, a pinch

Have ready near by a strainer suspended over a medium bowl that contains the lemon zest.

In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, beat the yolks and sugar until well blended. Stir in the lemon juice, butter, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, strring constantly (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thickened and resembles hollandaise sauce; it should thickly coat a wooden spoon but still be liquid enough to pour. The mixture will change from translucent to opaque and begin to take on a yellow color on the back the spoon; it must not be allowed to boil, or it will curdle. Whenever steam appears, remove the pan briefly from the heat, stirring constantly to keep the mixture from boiling. When the mixture has thickened (196 degrees on a thermometer), pour it at once into the strainer. Press with the back of a spoon until only the coarse residue remains. Gently stir in the zest and allow to cool.

Other juices that can be used are lime, blood orange, orange and passion fruit. For any of these variations, the amount of sugar and fruit juice will vary, but the yolks, butter and salt quantities remain constant.

As you can see, all of this is coming from my pantry, so I didn't have to make any special trips to the store :).

Hope you try it and happy cooking!