Lemon Curd

I don't feel that I've had many crafty makes or "ta-da" moments to share with you lately. But I have been creative in the kitchen and the garden over these last few weeks, enjoying things like flowers and jam and cake. And lemon curd.

I avoided making lemon curd until now because I always thought it was really difficult; in my mind it was up there with souffles, pastry, macarons and hollandaise sauce. But it's really easy! Shhh, don't tell anyone.

You need:

4 lemons

100 g/3.5 oz butter, cubed

200 g/7 oz caster sugar

3 eggs plus one extra yolk

• Sterilise your jars.
• Zest and juice the lemons. And while we are on the subject, the smell of a freshly zested lemon is pure heaven, it's up there with newborn babies' heads.
• Bring a pan of water to a steady simmer.
• In a bowl, put the lemon zest and juice, sugar and butter and put this bowl over your pan of water (1).
• Whisk now and then until the butter has melted (2).
• Lightly beat together the three eggs and one yolk and add to the mixture in the bowl.
• Cook for about ten to twelve minutes, stirring regularly but not continuously with your whisk, until it looks and feels like custard and coats the back of a spoon (3).
• Remove from the heat and leave to cool until it's luke warm, giving it a little stir every couple of minutes. 
• Pour into your jars. You should get enough to fill two normal sized jam jars from this amount.

It's so lemony! Much, much sharper than shop bought lemon curd. I love it, as I do anything citrus, but John felt it was "a bit too sharp" and requested orange curd next time. Would I use four oranges to replace four lemons I wonder? I have also been reliably informed that gooseberry curd is excellent. Any other variations I could try?

Edited to add: The lemon curd needs to be stored in the fridge and eaten with two weeks.

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