Quick Lemon Curd

This photo is a hint for the next recipe to come!

Why is this called curd?  I would like someone out there to tell me, because, by ingredients and method, it should rightly be called something waaaay more attractive, like, say, lemon custard.  Seriously.  Curd?  If you’ve ever spooned delicious, bright, lemony curd straight into your mouth from a pan or even a store-bought jar, I am not talking to you.  You are excused.  But, hey, you out there still reeling from the words lemon and curd together:  Come over here close and repeat after me:  “It is really lemon custard.  Fresh lemon CUSTARD.  And it only takes a few minutes to make.  I will try this!”  Let’s go.


Ingredients (Makes about 1 1/4 cups or 295ml)
2 small lemons
2 large eggs
Heaping 1/3 cup or 80g sugar
1/4 cup or 50g cold, unsalted butter
2 teaspoons cornflour or cornstarch


Method
Grate the zest off of your lemons and ignore the photo of me using my zester.  Even after I chopped the pieces with a big knife, the lemon zest was rather big and there were hurtful comments about same from my recipe testers.  Sniff.

Juice the lemons and strain out the seeds.

Cut your butter up into cubes and set aside, back in the refrigerator.

In a small bowl, whisk together your lemon juice and eggs.

Add in the rest of your ingredients, except the butter.

Still whisking constantly, cook the mixture in a saucepan over a medium heat until it thickens.

Add in the butter and mix thoroughly, simmering for a further minute or two.  Your lemon curd, or custard, is now done!

Spoon it straight into your mouth (let it cool a little, silly) or await further instructions as I have two recipes coming up, starting Sunday, that will use that lovely lemon curd.  I mean, custard.  If you aren’t using it within a couple of hours, cover with cling film and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

This lemon curd can be used in a variety of ways. Here are the links to the recipes I mentioned above:

Hot Lemon Curd Soufflés

Citrus Lust Mini Bundt Cakes with Lemon Curd

Lemon curd recipe originally from Delia Smith's How to Cook Book 1.

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I've entered this lemon curd recipe in Tea Time Treats for January, where the theme is citrus.  The hosts are Karen from Lavender and Lovage and Kate from What Kate Bakes.  If you have a citrusy item to add, just click on Lavender and Lovage or the photo caption below.

Tea Time Treats Link

                                            

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Oreo Muffins #MuffinMonday

Double Stuff Oreos baked into chocolate muffins with added chocolate chips make the perfect sweet breakfast or snack.

Happy New Year, lovely people!  We have come to the end of 2012 and to the final muffin in the holiday series.  As she does once in a while, Anuradha, our intrepid Muffin Monday leader, gave us free reign on this one, no prescribed recipe but one stipulation:  The muffin must be rich with chocolate.

This muffin is for Nicholas, my friend Mary’s second son.  He was a sweet child and has grown into a delightful young man.  When I was staying with them in Paris a couple of months ago, I made the Twix muffins for Muffin Monday.  Nick really liked them but he asked if I could make an Oreo muffin because those are his favorite.  I said I didn’t see why not.  And here is my perfect chance!   They have Double Stuff Oreos in the batter, as well as sprinkled on top.  And melted semi-sweet chocolate in the batter, along with extra semi-sweet chocolate chips, so I think they fulfill the rich with chocolate requirement.

Happy New Year to all the Capons, but especially to Nick!  Thanks for the idea and I hope this is your best year yet!

Ingredients
6 oz or 170g good quality semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup or 115g unsalted butter 2 cups or 250g all-purpose flour
1/2 cup or 115g granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed or 100g dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 Double Stuff Oreos

Method
Preheat your oven to  350°F or 180°C and grease your muffin pans (one 12-cup and one 6-cup for a total of 18 muffins) or line them with paper liners.

Gently melt your baking chocolate and butter in a microwaveable bowl (30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until just melted) or in the top pot of a double boiler.

Stir well and set aside to cool.

Chop the Oreos roughly with a large knife and separate them into two piles of about two-thirds and one-third.  Just eyeball it, no need to measure.  The bigger pile will go into the batter. The smaller one will be sprinkled for topping before baking.

In a large bowl, mix together your flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a smaller bowl, whisk your eggs and milk together.

Add in the melted chocolate/butter and whisk again.

Pour the liquids into the bowl of dry ingredients and fold them together until they are just mixed.

Fold in the bigger pile of Oreos bits and the chocolate chips.

Divide your batter between the prepared muffin pans.

Sprinkle the tops with the smaller pile of Oreos and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

I considered various glazes for this one but decided to just let those lovely white bits of Double Stuff shine forth.  And don’t they look pretty?

Enjoy!

You might also enjoy my Cookies and Cream Muffins, made with Oreos and rich cream.

Top Five Recipes To Date and a Thank You (2012)

Last year around this time, we were clearing out our house and making piles marked Donate, Move and Give Away.  There was another huge pile called Rubbish.  We were moving from Kuala Lumpur to Cairo and there was much to be done.  My blog was hardly six months old and, in all the turmoil that is a move, it never even occurred to me to do a favorite recipe round up.  One year on and two moves later, I think it’s time.

So, without further ado, I give you the top five most viewed recipes on Food Lust People Love.

Pumpkin Tres Leches Bundt Cake

5.  Pumpkin Tres Leches Bundt Cake was posted back in November when Mexican Independence Day meets Thanksgiving.  I think it was my first BundtaMonth post and so I am delighted that it has been so popular.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken Stroganoff

4.  Rosemary Lemon Chicken Stroganoff was one of my earliest posts, from way back in June of 2011.  It held the top spot for almost a year and now still makes the top five a year and a half on.  It’s what I make when I have leftovers of Nigella’s Rosemary Lemon Chicken and, often, I make extra just so I can make this.

Gram's Fig Spice Bundt Cake

3.  Gram’s Fig Spice Bundt Cake is not only third on the list but I believe it is also one of my most commented-on posts.  I like to think you keep coming back to see photos of my cute grandmother and her handwritten recipe, but I suspect the buttermilk glaze is the draw.

Birthday Banana Cream Pie

2. Birthday Banana Cream Pie was first in views for many months before it was overtaken by the current first place holder.  Creamy custard in a home-baked flakey crust over sweet bananas and, finally topped with whipped cream.  Even the dog couldn’t resist trying to have a lick.

And finally, the recipe with the most views this year:

Tasty Turkey Potpie

1. Tasty Turkey Pot Pie was a surprise contender!  It came out of nowhere to take top place, even though it is one of the most recent posts, because I guess you all had too much leftover turkey.  Or you just like potpie.  Or you like to use leftovers!  Or you love puff pastry.  Whichever it was, it makes you my kind of people.

Thank you for reading, thank you for commenting, thank you for interacting on my Facebook page and thank you for a wonderful year!  Just that you are reading, makes it all worthwhile.

Fond regards,

Stacy