A Curd by Any Other Name

I'm not sure about you, but the sound of the word "curd" is simply not very appealing to my palette.  However, let me assure you that what just came out of my kitchen holds enough redemptive power to counterbalance any put-off feelings this word may give you.
What, you may ask...

LEMON CURD...and not just any lemon curd, but lemon curd that has been test dozens of times by the fine folks at America's Test Kitchen to the point where it practically makes itself!  Ok, maybe not that last part, but it is extremely fool-proof and ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!  I've only made lemon curd one other time in my life and it was so unbelievably icky sweet that I never wanted to venture down that sugar-high road again.

The reason for this adventure to Lemontown is simple...friendship :)  One of my best friends is having a birthday tomorrow and I simply love her.  Turns out one of her favorite things in the entire world is lemon curd and since this is her 50th celebration of life I felt she should have her favorite!

Incidentally, I'm also making her a lemon pound cake to go with the pint jar of lemon curd that is now a temporary guest in my refrigerator.  So, without further delay, here's what you really want...the recipe, the picture, the end :)

Thanks to Carolyn T for her awesome blog post!

Lemon Curd (America’s Test Kitchen)

Recipe: America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
Serving Size: 12 (maybe a lot more)
NOTES: This really takes no time to make and it’s SO much better than the store-bought type. I also like this recipe because it’s not teeth-achingly sweet. It’s “just right.”
7 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar — + 2 tablespoons
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter — cut in 1/2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1. Whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs and sugar together until just combined. Whisk in the lemon juice, zest and salt.
2. Transfer the mixture to a medium nonreactive saucepan, add butter, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens to a thin sauce-like consistency, about 5 minutes.
3. Strain the curd immediately through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean nonreactive bowl and stir in the cream. Cool and chill completely.
Per Serving (probably high as I think this will serve more than 12 scones!): 163 Calories; 9g Fat (48.8% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 175mg Cholesterol; 37mg Sodium.

I hope my friend enjoys eating her gifts as much as I enjoyed making them for her :)