Lemon Curd – sugar free

Lemon Curd

Lovers of all things zesty and sunny yellow won’t struggle to find uses for lemon curd also known as lemon butter. It’s somewhere between a lemon jam and a custard. My favourite way to use it is to mix with mascarpone to make a quick no-bake cheesecake filling.

makes: about 1 1/2cups
takes: 30 minutes
125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon pure stevia powder*
125g (4.5oz) lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

1. Place butter, eggs, stevia, lemon juice and zest in a medium saucepan and place over a medium low heat.

2. Stir until butter has melted, then keep cooking and stirring until the mixture has thickened like a custard. If you like to check the temperature, about 65C (150F) is what you’re aiming for. But you will be able to tell when it’s thick enough. The butter will further thicken it as it cools.

3. Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve.

4. Place in a clean dry jar. Refrigerate to allow to set before using.

Variations

*important note about stevia! – there are 4 types of stevia:
1. Pure Stevia Powder – looks like icing (powdered / confectioners) sugar. It’s expensive but a tiny amount goes a long long way. We’re talking 1/2 teaspoon to sweeten a whole cake. This is what I use.
2. Granular Stevia (like Natvia or Truvia) – looks like regular white sugar. It’s a blend of erythritol and stevia. Usually 1/4 teaspoon = 4-6 tablespoons granular stevia.
3. Fresh or Dried Stevia Leaves – from a real stevia plant! I haven’t baked with them but they will behave similar to the pure stevia powder. Just add to taste.
4. Liquid stevia. I haven’t used this. But add to taste.

granular stevia – replace pure stevia powder with 4-6 tablespoons granular stevia

no stevia – use your favourite sweetener… Honey, maple syrup, xylitol or white sugar! Just add and taste until you’re happy with the sweetness level. I used to use 75g (2.5oz) white sugar.

lime / orange curd – replace the lemon juice and zest with limes. Or use oranges or a mixture of citrus.

passionfruit curd – replace half the lemon juice with passion fruit pulp either with or without the seeds.

dairy-free – replace the butter with coconut oil.

Shelf Life / Storage

Can be kept for 2 weeks or more in an airtight container in the fridge – even longer if you can be bothered to sterilize your jar! Do not freeze.

Problem Solving Guide

lumpy – if the eggs overcook you’ll end up with curdled or lumpy butter. If you notice this, getting off the heat asap and stirring in some more cubes of cold butter may fix the situation. The other alternative is to sieve out the lumps and lemon zest.

salty / subdued flavour – sounds like you’ve used salted butter like I did recently. The best solution is to add more sugar or stevia to balance out the saltiness but it won’t be as nice as with unsalted butter.

Packaging Suggestions

Pretty forgiving. But needs to be kept in the fridge.

Ingredients List

butter, lemon, eggs, sugar

Serving Suggestions

jam replacer – serve as a super zesty spread on bread, toast or warm croissants.

cake filling – use instead of strawberry jam to sandwich sponge cakes together.

tartlet filling – use to fill pre-baked tartlet cases. Don’t try it for a large tart though because it won’t set enough to be cut into slices.

cheaty lemon cheesecakes – crush your favourite cheesecake base cookie (biscuit) and line tea cups or pretty glasses. Mix equal parts of lemon curd and marscapone (Italian cream cheese) and divide between the glasses.

lemon meringue ice cream – soften some commercial vanilla ice cream for 15 minutes or so. Stir in swirls of lemon curd and crushed meringue and refreeze until you’re ready to serve.