Lemon Curd & Tartlets

Yeah that’s right I said lemon curd! Alright, so it may sound a little weird, but trust me, it is good. If your wondering what possessed me, well my sister and I had the joy of throwing a baby shower for my brother’s wife. Inspired by the fabulous Mrs. Amy Atlas, we decided it should be a dessert extravaganza. So when I saw a recipe for adorable, little lemon burst tartlets, I just had to make them! If you know me then you know I like to make things myself, so of course when I realized the recipe called for lemon curd, I first I had to find out exactly what it was and second figure out how to make it. Thank you internet and your vast compilation of recipes for anything, basically – Lemon Curd is a delicious mix of lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, butter and eggs. With so few ingredients, which you most likely have hand, this recipe is one you should try. Also, if your interested, also below is the recipe for the lemon burst tartlets.

Lemon Curd
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Ingredients:

6 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks. In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.) Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 min. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don’t let the mixture boil. Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

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Lemon Burst Tartlets
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Ingredients:

2 packages frozen miniature phyllo tart shells
10 ounces lemon curd
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
30 fresh blueberries or raspberries

Directions:

Bake shells according to package directions; cool completely on a wire rack. In a large bowl, combine the lemon curd, whipped topping until smooth. Pipe or spoon lemon mixture over filling. Garnish each with a blueberry or raspberry,whatever you prefer. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 30 servings.

I hope that you enjoy the lemony deliciousness of the curd, the tartlets or both!