I asked my five year old daughter, a chocolate fan, if we should make lemon curd or a chocolate dessert. Not surprisingly, she voted for chocolate. I asked what if I showed a photograph of lemon curd and included blueberries: “you’re making it tricky,” she said. We went with that swing and started to assemble the ingredients. She looked at the citrus reamer on the counter, asked what it was called, and then exclaimed that that’s what her grand aunt and uncle used to make their lemon drink in the morning. That was almost a year ago in Connecticut and we had never spoken about it. I had to think to remember the image: of the early morning, the dine-in kitchen, the little one waking-up early to sit at the table and chat. And watch.
Method for lemon curd:
Lemons
Eggs (whole eggs instead of just yolks can be used to make a lighter lemon curd)
Sugar
Butter
Depending on the type of lemon and preference for citrus flavor, mix the juice of one to two lemons, and the zest of a lemon, with four to five yolks and between half to three-quarter cups of sugar depending on preference for sweetness. Continuously whisk this mixture in a heavy bottom vessel over moderate to low heat until it thickens to a cream-like consistency. Adjust heat to avoid scrambling the egg yolks but to allow for the mixture to thicken. A curved-sided heavy bottom pan helps for this purpose. Add a few tablespoons of butter towards the end, whisk to a smooth, silky consistency and then chill the mixture in an ice-bath to prevent further cooking before refrigeration. Since lemon curd can spoil easily, make in small batches. To make a lemon curd tart, fill a fully baked pastry shell with the lemon curd just before serving.
The warm weather makes me look at lemons longer in the grocery store, it reminds me of Italian class discussing the word “profumo” and lemons from the Amalfi coast, it brings memories of the lemon curd tart from childhood and, the song, Lemon Tree. Then time just goes by, with or without making the tart. This time around, I made the tart because I was reminded of it during a conversation with a colleague - a member of the Sunshine Club that tries to bring sunshine to people - who talked about liking the tartness in tarts and how it can be forgotten until it’s tasted.
“This is tricky!” I agree with your little one. But for all the constraints of today we would have jumped into the mini-van to drive South to the sunshine in your lemon tarts. Another time.
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Thank you. We'll look forward to the time together!
Looks very yum Bala
Thank you! I hope you've been well.
Bala, again a recipe with such a lovely feeling wrapped around it! Thank you for sharing. Take care and be safe. AC (for my fam/friends, Aunt Carrie)
Carrie, Thank you so much! I hope you've been well, too.
Bala, Many memories from this post about lemon curd. First, my family has discovered the best pancakes in the world, which are Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, best served with lemon curd and fresh berries. Second, my family loves gingerbread (cake) filled or topped with lemon curd. Lastly, when living in London, eating freshly made whole grain bread with a spread of lemon curd was divine. I would like to add that there is a divine little town on Lake Garda, called Limone, in micro-climate, where lemon trees were (and are) grown in terraces up the sides of a mountain. These lemons were shipped to Germany and Austria. Alas, when the railroad came to Italy, the lemons were shipped from Sicily to northern Europe; thus, making the Limone lemons uncompetitive. I am sure making and biting into Bala's tart tart will make memories for all.
Roxanne,
Thank you for sharing these memories. I've haven't tried any of the combinations you describe with lemon curd. I look forward to trying them all. The town of Limone sounds divine and I can only imagine the sight and flavor of the lemons there!
Thank you,
Bala
Roxanne, you're totally right! I had lemon ricotta pancakes once in Baltimore on a first date and I ended up marrying that person. There's something magic in them! I will go to Limone one day, it sounds lovely.
Thanks for the beautiful post, Bala. As always, your pictures capture the essence of the joy in life.
Thank you, Liz. What a way to associate lemon ricotta pancakes - lovely story! Thank you for sharing.