Bright, yellow lemons just feel like spring. Grill lemon halves alongside chicken; use the zest in a marinade for leg of lamb; float thin slices in sparkling water; squeeze the juice over the season’s first asparagus.
Early spring also is a great time to cook up a batch of lemon curd. It’s easy to do and so versatile for everything from a pancake topping, spread over toast, or swirled over vanilla ice cream for a refreshing sundae.
For Easter brunch, bright yellow lemon curd can be swirled into whipped cream and mascarpone for layering with lemon syrup-soaked ladyfingers for a bright, citrusy pudding. The mascarpone cream and ladyfingers prove reminiscent of tiramisu, sans the coffee, and chocolate. This version reminds us of all the limoncello we enjoyed on Italy’s Amalfi Coast one spring vacation.
There’s not much technique to making silky curd—the most important skill is patience during the cooking. Stay at the stove, stirring to protect the delicate egg yolks from overcooking. They need to be just hot enough to thicken, but not so hot they cook into firm curds.
You’ll need a couple of tools. First, a sharper grater or zester to remove the rinds from fresh lemons. Secondly, a medium mesh strainer—such as the inexpensive versions sold in the cookware aisle at large grocery stores—will help you achieve the smoothest finished lemon curd. A heatproof or silicone spatula, or a flat-edged wooden spoon, allows the cook to feel the egg mixture on the bottom of the pan as it cooks.
The lemon curd will keep in the refrigerator for a week or more. Serve it cold or at room temperature.
For the lemon pudding, use ladyfingers such as those from Alessi brand also known as Biscotti Savoiardi. You can substitute madeleines, slices of sponge cake or pound cake, or vanilla wafers. Bottled lemon curd can be used for a time saver. The pudding will keep a couple of days in the refrigerator.
Lemon Curd
Makes 2 cups
- 3 or 4 large lemons
- 4 large eggs
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, diced
Use a Microplane zester or other fine grater to grate the yellow rind (not the white pith) of 2 of the lemons into a medium-size saucepan. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze to make a generous 1/2 cup juice. Add to the pan with the rind. Whisk in eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt until mixture is well combined.
Set the pan over low heat. Use a flat-edged wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir the mixture while it cooks. (Do not walk away during the cooking.) Cook and stir until the mixture thickens just enough to lightly coat the back of the spatula, about 10 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the cold butter to stop the cooking.
Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl. Push the lemon curd through the sieve into a bowl. This removes any cooked egg bits as well as the pieces of lemon rind. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid or a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to one week.
Lemon Curd Pudding
Makes 8 servings
- 1 large or 2 small lemons
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 sprigs fresh mint, optional
- 2 tablespoons vodka or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 container (8 ounces) mascarpone (or more cream cheese)
- Grated rind from 1 lemon
- 1 cup lemon curd (see recipe), plus extra for serving
- 1 package (7 ounces) ladyfinger cookies
- Fresh berries, mint sprigs, for garnish
For lemon syrup, remove the rind from the lemon with a vegetable peeler and put into a small saucepan. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add to the pan. Stir in water and granulated sugar. Heat to a boil and cook until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add mint sprigs and vodka. Let stand until cool. Remove lemon rind and mint sprigs. (Refrigerate syrup covered up to two weeks.)
Beat whipping cream in the bowl of electric mixer until frothy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and then beat until soft peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl. Add cream cheese and mascarpone to the mixer bowl. Beat on high until smooth and light. Beat in grated lemon rind. Beat in lemon curd. Use a large spatula to fold whipped cream into the mixture until incorporated.
Arrange a single layer of ladyfingers over the bottom of an 8-by-8-inch dish. Brush ladyfingers heavily with some of the lemon syrup. Top with half of the whipped cream mixture and smooth into an even layer. Top with another layer of ladyfingers and brush generously with lemon syrup. Top with remaining whipped cream mixture and smooth into an even layer.
Cover dish lightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
Use a spatula or large spoon to serve. Garnish with dollops of lemon curd, fresh berries, and mint sprigs.
