Lime Curd
- Servings: Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Lime curd has a pale yellow-green color. With flecks of green zest, its tangy, sweet flavor makes it an appealing filling for a tart shell or to spread on cookies or serve with pound cake or angel food cake. This recipe makes enough to fill a single 8-inch tart shell, or four individual tart shells, or 8 mini shells to make mini-lime tarts.
Use the ordinary Persian limes that are easily available in most markets. If you instead use key limes, you'll need to reduce the amount of sugar because key limes are sweeter. Use a medium-heavy sauce pan that is non-reactive, which means it will have no reaction to the lemon juice's acid, including cast iron.
The easiest way to zest the limes is with a microplane zester.
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 whole large egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed strained lime juice (about 10 limes, depending on their size)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
- 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
Directions
- In a small bowl and using a fork, gently mix together the egg yolks and whole egg. Strain through a fine sieve into a saucepan.
- Add the lime juice and sugar and stir to combine.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl and add the lime zest and the butter, a couple of pieces at a time, stirring until all the butter has been added and melted into the zest.
- Cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent the surface from developing a skin. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until ready to use.
Lime curd can be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to three days, or frozen for up to a year.
