Lemon Curd

I made the lemon curd in order to make lemon buttercream. But Lemon curd can be used directly on bread or as pastry filling.

Ingredients

Sugar - 2 cup
Lemon zest - 4 TBSP (about 4 lemons)
Egg yolks - 12
Lemon juice - 1 cup minus 2 TBSP, freshly squeezed

Unsalted butter -1 cup, cold

Steps

1. Mix lemon zest with sugar.
2. Strain egg yolks into a pot and beat lightly with a wire whisk. Whisk in the sugar and give it a good mix until lighter in color. Stir in lemon juice gradually.
3. Heat on low, while stirring constantly with a wire whisk until mixture thickens, just starts to bubble and coats back of wooden spoon. If you don't have a very low setting on your stove it's best to use a double boiler so you don't overcook the eggs.
4. Remove pot from heat, then add the cold, cubed butter and mix until melted.

5. Strain the final mixture to remove any bits of zest, etc. to get a silk smooth curd.
6. Transfer the curd to a sealable container or bowl. If store in a bowl make sure to cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. The curd will set completely in the fridge. The lemon curd will keep in the fridge for 1 week or can be frozen for up to 3 months.