How To Use Lemon Curd – 11 Easy Methods

Lemon curd is delicious! But what if you have it in huge quantities at home? How to use lemon curd so that it does not go to waste? Well, we have the answer. While you can eat it all, why do that when you have plenty of other ways to use it? Wondering what those are?

Keep reading this post to learn about the many innovative ways to use lemon curd.

Quick Tip

Lemon curd is a thick, creamy, and smooth dessert spread made from fresh lemons, eggs, sugar, and butter.

1. No Bake Lemon Tart

This is an easy way to use lemon curd, and it also makes an elegant dessert. To make your work much easier and less time consuming, use store-bought pie crust. Roll it into a large disc of 1 cm thickness. Carefully lay this on the tart tin and with your fingers, wedge in the dough until it sticks uniformly to the tin. If there is a rip anywhere, use excess dough to patch the gaps. Now fill the shell with lemon curd. Bake at 160 degrees C for 15-20 minutes until the curd is set. The egg in the curd helps it set the curd. Alternatively, you could also make mini tartlets by baking in muffin tins.

Quick Tip

Crush up some digestive biscuits and mix with melted butter to make a no-bake tart crust.

2. Macarons

Macarons are sophisticated desserts that you can make for your tea time party or just for your own sweet tooth. To make the macaron, whip up egg whites in a clean bowl with very fine caster sugar (add 1 tablespoon per egg) until stiff peaks form. During the last stage of whipping, add a bit of gel color. Now pipe them on to a baking sheet with a round tip nozzle in small 1-inch diameter circles. Tap your tray twice to give your macarons the characteristic ‘feet’. Bake these at 180 degrees C for 8 minutes. Take them out and let them cool. Sandwich two of these macaron halves with a dollop of lemon curd. Once they cool down, try and glaze the top of the macarons with a thin layer of lemon curd glaze.

3. Cake Icing

To make cake icing out of lemon curd, you must choose a particularly tart lemon curd because you need to add sugar to make it stiff enough to be used as icing. First of all, you need to make a basic buttercream by creaming unsalted butter with icing sugar. Roughly equal parts butter and sugar are needed, but if it is too stiff, add a couple of tablespoons of milk. If it is too runny, add more sugar. Once the buttercream is done, add the lemon curd according to taste.

4. Pudding

To make the pudding batter, mix 5 tablespoons of butter, ¼ cup of caster sugar, ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 large egg. Once the batter comes together, add juice of half a lemon and zest of a whole lemon and give it a quick stir. In greased pudding cups, add a tablespoon of lemon curd and fill the rest with the pudding batter. Bake at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes. Unmold the pudding once cool and scrape the lemon curd onto it. You can serve with an extra spoonful of lemon curd.

5. Crepe Filling

This is a delicious filling recipe that works great with crepes, pancakes and even as cake layer filling. Use mascarpone or cream cheese, depending on your taste. Just mix equal parts of lemon curd with the cheese and whip them together. To make the filling, place two loaded tablespoons of this curd cheese mixture, top it with some chopped fresh, sweet berries like blueberries or strawberries or an assortment of chopped seasonal fruits. To enhance the tart lemon flavor, drizzle some lemon syrup over the filling.

6. Lemon Bar

Silky smooth, elegant and satisfying, a lemon bar is all these things. It can be packed into lunch boxes, served at a party or even given away as a gift. To make this versatile sweet snack, make a shortbread base by whizzing 5 tablespoons of cubed, cold butter, 2 tablespoons of caster sugar, ¾ cup flour in a food processor until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Collect the loose dough into a ball without kneading too much. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. After that, pat the dough into a square tin and bake for 30 minutes at 175 degrees C. Once the crust is cooled, spread the lemon curd in a uniform layer and refrigerate for a few hours. Cut it into small squares and serve.

7. Mousse

To make lemon mousse, heat whipping cream on the stovetop with lemon zest. Once the cream is slightly cooled, add a soaked and squeezed sheet of gelatin to the cream and stir until it dissolves. Now let the cream cool completely before whipping to a soft peak with two tablespoons of icing sugar. Add the lemon curd and fold in with a metal spoon. Refrigerate to get a smooth, soft mousse.

8. Marbled Cake

Marbled cake contains two different kinds of flavored cake batter folded in a marbled pattern. To make marble cake, prepare simple cake batter for a 6-inch round tin. You can use packaged cake batter. Now using two different spoons, put dollops of cake batter and lemon curd alternatively into the cake tin in two layers. Using a toothpick, swirl the batter in a beautiful marbled pattern. Bake as the recipe instructs.

9. Puff Pastry Bites

You can buy ready-made puff pastry from the store. Cut the pastry into small squares or circles. Bake them as instructed in the package. Now whip some lemon curd with whipped cream to make a creamy, thick filling. Pipe this on the puff pastry with a star-tip nozzle. Top it with candied lemon or berries to make the perfect party food or serve them with a side of your favorite condiment for added flavor.

10. Pavlova

To make pavlova, prepare the egg whites the same way you prepared for macarons. However, to make the pavlova extra marshmallow and gooey at the center, add a tablespoon of cornflour to the mixture. Now pile it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper in a large round shape. Smooth the surface as much as you can. Bake it at 150 degrees C for an hour. Once the pavlova is cool, generously spoon lemon curd on the top of it. Arrange sweet raspberries and strawberries on top to finish the dessert.

11. Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

To prepare lemon meringue cheesecake, combine 1 1/2 cups of Graham cracker crumbs with 1/2 cup of melted butter and press the mixture into a springform pan. Blend 300 grams of cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, zest from 2 lemons, and 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice until smooth. Add 3 eggs, and mix in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken the batter. Pour this cheesecake mixture over the graham cracker crust.

Bake at 325°F for 55-60 minutes, until the edges are set. After slightly cooling, refrigerate for 2-3 hours. For the meringue topping, whip the whites of 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, ½ cup lemon curd, and 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Gently spread the meringue over the chilled cheesecake.

Bake again at 325°F (160°C) for 10-15 minutes and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

A blogger demystifies the intimidating reputation of lemon curd, celebrating its smooth, balanced, and delightful essence. The blogger shares the journey of experimenting with countless recipes and techniques, ultimately declaring, “While lemon curd isn’t normally eaten by itself, my favorite (lazy) way of eating lemon curd is to spoon it over scones with fresh whipped cream (i).”

Infographic: How To Make Lemon Curd

Lemon curd, with its mildly sweet and tangy taste, makes for a great addition to most desserts. You can try any of the recipes mentioned above to get an idea of its flavor and texture. Check out the infographic below to learn how to make lemon curd.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can lemon curd stay in the fridge?

If stored in an airtight container, lemon curd can last for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

Can you heat up lemon curd?

Yes, lemon curd can be heated but at a low temperature in a thick-bottomed pan. If heated at a high temperature, it can get burnt and lose its taste and texture.

Why does my lemon curd taste metallic?

Using aluminum or metal bowls may cause a metallic taste in lemon curd. The acid in the lemon reacts with the metal and gives out a metallic taste.

Illustration: How To Use Lemon Curd - 11 Easy Methods

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Learn how to make a delicious lemon curd tart with this easy-to-follow recipe! Watch this video and enjoy a sweet and tangy treat that’s sure to please.

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