This recipe comes from my favorite resource, Hello My Name is Ice Cream by Dana Cree. I highly suggest picking up a copy, it will level up your ice cream knowledge and give you lots of creative and useful tips to develop your own recipes. This curd will stay soft when frozen in ice cream but is great other ways as well.
Zest 2-3 lemons to get about 2 teaspoons worth, and extract 100 grams of juice or about 1/2 cup. You’ll be using a double boiler to prevent the eggs from curdling. Fill up a pot with about 2 inches of water and find a metal mixing bowl that can rest in the pan but is a couple inches smaller.
In the mixing bowl add the lemon zest, 2 whole eggs (the whites included) 200 g or 1 cup of sugar, 100 grams of corn syrup or glucose syrup (1/2 cup) and whisk to combine.
Heat the water until it begins to simmer and then turn down to medium low and place your mixing bowl on top so that the heat begins to warm the bowl. Whisk to make sure the sugars are fully incorporated and add the lemon juice. This part takes quite a bit of time so be warned. Whisk the mixture over the heat until it becomes thick and foamy so that it briefly holds small peaks when drizzled with a spoon. Switching arms can help as this takes at least 10 minutes depending on the heat. If you have a thermometer it should reach somewhere between 170 and 180 degrees F.
Remove from the stove and add 160 grams of butter (3/4 cup) in small chunks, a few at a time, allowing the butter to melt before adding more. This will cool down and thicken the mixture. If it gets too cool and the butter wont melt you can place the bowl over the warm water in the double boiler briefly and that should help.
Transfer the curd to a bowl and cover snugly with plastic wrap so that no air can get to it. This should keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for up to three months, though I cant imagine not eating it all quickly, it is so delicious.
Perfect Lemon Curd for Ice Cream
Equipment
- double boiler medium pot and bowl that fits inside but is a couple inches smaller than the pot
- whisk
Ingredients
- 5 g (2 tsp) lemon zest 2-3 lemons worth
- 100 g (1/2 cup) lemon juice 2-4 lemons worth
- 200 g (1 cup) sugar
- 100 g (1/2 cup) corn syrup or glucose syrup
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Prepare your double boiler with about 2 inches of water in a pot. Heat until it beings to simmer.
- Add lemon zest, eggs, sugar and glucose to a medium bowl that is a couple inches smaller than the pot you will use for the double boiler. Whisk to combine.
- Turn the heat down to medium low and place the bowl of ingredients over the water. Add the lemon juice and whisk constantly until mixture becomes frothy and thick enough to form small peaks when drizzled with a spoon. This takes quite a bit of time so be ready to wear out your arms. The temperature should reach between 170-180 degrees F.
- Remove from heat and add butter a tablespoon or two at a time, whisking and allowing to melt before adding more. If the mixture gets too cool to melt the butter, place it over the warm water (with the stove off) briefly to help melt the butter.
- Store the curd in a bowl with plastic wrap snugly on top so that no air can get in. Keep sin refrigerator for 1 week and three months in the freezer.
Leave a Reply