Yesterday, I needed to get back to my roots.
I spent a few hours in the kitchen. And it felt great.
Virginia and I cooked up a sinful version of Uncle Bubba's Shrimp & Grits recipe. It used two quarts of cream. And it was awesome.
But that's a story for another time. Because it also involved three pounds of shrimp. And a stick of a butter.
On top of the decadent shrimp and grits, we also spent a few minutes mixing up a delicious dairy-free and honey sweetened lemon curd.
You guys.
It was incredible.
Now, I like my lemon curd zesty. Zingy. Those are the only two ‘z' words I can think of that the moment.
Zebra. There's another.
Point being, I don't like my lemon curd super sweet. I find it more refreshing this way.
And one of the best parts about this lemon curd is that it's made with whole foods: eggs, lemons, honey, and butter. (Or coconut oil. Whatever tickles your fancy.)
This is the real deal.
And one of the other best parts (apart from the nutritional goodness) is that it cooks up in ten minutes. Super easy and delicious.
Ohh – and I forgot another best part. It uses the entire egg instead of just the egg yolks. This helps keep the curd frugal and easy. But don't worry – you won't miss out on any of the richness.
Zesty Lemon Curd
You will need:
– 3 large pastured eggs
– 1/3 cup raw honey
– Grated zest of one organic lemon
– 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice
– 6 tablespoons coconut oil, or butter
Step One: In a saucepan, mix together the eggs, honey, and lemon zest until melted nicely together.
Step Two: Add in the butter or coconut oil and allow it to melt, too. Then, pour in the lemon juice.
Step Three: Gently allow the curd to heat up, stirring, until it thickens. When it's ready, there will be a few bubbles that begin to pop at the surface.
Step Four: After the curd has thickened, remove it from the heat, and pour the curd through a strainer to remove any lemon seeds or large pieces of zest. Don't skip this step – it's really helps create a smooth curd.
Step Five: That's it! Cover the curd and chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours. It will continue to set as it cools.
And that's it! Tomorrow, I'll share the delicious nut-based crust recipe to turn this delicious curd into simple and honey-sweetened lemon bar goodness. I would type the bar recipe out now, but I have to go and wash dried grits and snot out my hair.
It was a wild dinner.
Sending love – from my crazy kitchen to yours!
For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.
Zesty Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 3 large pastured eggs
- ⅓ cup raw honey
- Grated zest of one organic lemon
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 6 tbsp coconut oil, or butter
Instructions
- In a saucepan, mix together the eggs, honey, and lemon zest until melted nicely together.
- Add in the butter or coconut oil and allow it to melt, too. Then, pour in the lemon juice.
- Gently allow the curd to heat up, stirring, until it thickens. When it's ready, there will be a few bubbles that begin to pop at the surface.
- After the curd has thickened, remove it from the heat, and pour the curd through a strainer to remove any lemon seeds or large pieces of zest. Don't skip this step – it's really helps create a smooth curd.
- That's it! Cover the curd and chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours. It will continue to set as it cools.
I’ve made curd before but not with honey. Brilliant! Thanks for the recipe!
What do you use this lemon curd for besides the lemon bars? I have made it and really love it, but am stumped beyond the bars. Thanks!
I just eat the lemon curd straight like a lemon monster. But that’s just me 🙂
But you could also just freeze it until you’d like to eat it (straight out of the freezer!) or use it again on the bars.
Anomymous, lemon curd is used for high teas. You make or get someone to make scones (they look like biscuits and taste like biscuits) and you get some clotted cream (I use whipped heavy cream) and put it on the scone with the lemon curd and you may think you have died and gone to heaven! If you go to a tea room you will be brought lemon curd and clotted cream for your scones and tea sandwiches. If you go to Chattanooga, Tenn, make sure and visit The English Rose Tea Room across from the Chattanooga Choo Choo. The Duchess Delight flavored tea. It’s to die for…..
Oh My Goodness!!! I had no idea lemon curd was so easy to make! I HAVE to try this now, in fact I’m tempted to start it RIGHT now, but…. I know I would regret that tomorrow morning at 6:30 so this tasty little project will have to wait.
Thanks for this recipe! My family loves lemon curd. I used 3 tbsp butter and 3 coconut oil to try to cut down the butter factor. My egg whites clumped a little but were stained out when I poured it through the mesh strainer – no problems. I served this last night with biscuits (to a crowd) and it was very well received. Thanks for the recipe.
I am trying to find some kind of filling for a cake that is for a bee themed baby shower , was curious how would this be as a filling between layers?
Could you use this to fill a lemon meringue pie?
My coconut oil floated to the top of my jar and solidified leaving the rest more liquidy. I made it in a double broiler, maybe it would’ve come together better in a saucepan? Can I just blend it or should I try and reheat it?