Lemon, Lime & Ginger Curd — theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com

 I have to say that one of my absolute favourite things is Lemon Curd.  I could sit down and eat it with a spoon.  I have always made my own. Its not all that hard to do and tastes unbelievably better than the store bought stuff.  Seriously. I found myself with some lemons and limes that needed using up today and I had in mind to do a Lemon & Lime curd, but was a bit unsure as to what proportions of each I should use.  After doing a search I found what looked like a great recipe on the Waitrose site.  I decided to charge things up a bit however and add some fresh ginger root to the mix, as  I also had a knob  of that which needed using up. The people at English Provender had once sent me some Lemon and Ginger Curd and it was very moreish, so I thought why not! The end result was something so fabulous that I think you are really going to love it!  Its tart and sweet and has just a bit of gingery heat to it,  but not obnoxiously so. This would make a fabulous filling for a cake I think  . . .  maybe even a banana cake . . .  hmmm . . .  the wheels are turning.  I also make a lovely lemon drizzle loaf which uses lemon curd, so I think I am going to try using some of it in that. (You will find that recipe in the same place as my regular lemon curd recipe. See link above.) See how lovely and thick it is?  And that is while it is still a bit warm. It thickens up beautifully in the refrigerator. Mmmm . . .  so tasty.  I had a huge Bon Maman jam jar from some jam I had gotten a while back at Costco and that is what I have used to store it in.  I think we will make pretty short work of this. I couldn't resist trying some on top of a soda cracker just to taste it . . .  you know how it goes.  Oh boy.  This is one gorgeous curd!! I hope you will give it a go. Making curd is not that easy if you follow the directions perfectly.  And even if your eggs do end up curdling a bit, its not the end of the world, just strain out the curdles. It will still be perfectly edible, but in all truth if you are careful and temper your eggs first, then that just won't happen!  *Lemon, Lime & Ginger Curd*Makes 600ml (2 1/2 cups)Printable Recipe   Creamy, tart and tangy.  This gorgeous spread is very simple to make and tastes fabulous spread onto warm scones or toast, between cake layers etc. the finely grated zest and juice of 2 limesthe finely grated zest and juice of 3 lemons1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated250g caster sugar (1 1/3 cup)125g butter, cut into small bits (1/2 cup)4 large free range eggs, beaten  Place the grated ginger root, lemon and lime zests and juices into a heatproof bowl, large enough to fit over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir in the sugar and add the butter. Place over the simmering water and cook, stirring occasionally until the butter and sugar both melt.   Whisk a bit of this hotter mixture into the beaten eggs to temper it, then slowly whisk the eggs back into the bowl of juices, etc. Make sure you don't forget to temper the eggs as you will end up with scrambled egg. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. This will take 20 to 25 minutes over water at a low simmer.  Stirring is not optional, you must stir it continuously or the mixture will not thicken evenly.   Remove the bowl from the pan and strain the curd into clean and sterilised jars.  (This is not totally necessary, but I like to strain any solids out so that the mixture is completely smooth.) Cover and allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator. This will keep for about a week.  So I would give a jar away.  I am sure nobody will refuse it.Note - It is possible to do this in the microwave by placing all of the ingredients into a bowl and cooking on high for five to six minutes, stirring at frequent intervals  until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Jar and seal as above.  I have not tried this method myself, so cannot vouch for it. I adapted this recipe from one I found on the Waitrose site for Tangy Lemon and Lime Curd.  I thought that fresh ginger would be a fabulous addition to the flavours and I was right! I love it when that happens! 

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