The Very Best Lemon Curd Recipe

 Lemon curd has to be my all time favorite dessert.  I spread it on toast or scones in the morning, and lately I've been eating it by the spoonful after dinner as a dessert.  The only thing that use to bother me about lemon curd is sometimes I would get a distinctive "eggy" flavor from the curd.  After reading an article in Cook's Illustrated I learned that it's the egg white that adds the sulfur-like flavor, so removing it would eliminate the bad taste.  Immediately I decided to alter my favorite lemon curd recipe and low and behold, the very best lemon curd recipe is born!

This recipe is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa.

Ingredients

• 3 lemons
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 extra-large egg yolks, egg whites removed
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.