Skip to content

The Lagasse Girls

Authors of The Gluten Free Table and The Lagasse Girls’ Big Flavor Bold Taste and No Gluten

Lemon Curd Custards

Jilly’s love of lemon curd is the inspiration for this dish. Lemon Curd is a British staple and despite what she had first thought, it is not a curd at all! It is actually a very rich dessert spread, similar in consistency to a jam that is made of lemons, sugar, eggs and butter, very naughty indeed. Traditionally, it would be served with scones or bread at Afternoon Tea or used as a dessert filling for cakes, tarts and pastries. It’s the sweet comparison to a good hot sauce….you can put it on just about anything and it tastes good! This dish is more similar to a pudding in texture, but with its light and clean lemony taste, these custards make a palate cleaning joyous end to any meal. Try and use the freshest lemons and eggs possible, as it will help with the vibrancy in color and flavor. Jessie likes to place a few dark chocolate chips into the center of the custards right before baking for an extra surprise. This will make 4  8 Ounce ramekins worth of custard, though feel free to double it for a larger number of guests. If you like lemons, you are going to love this!

 

 

LEMON CURD CUSTARDS

Makes 4 custards

 

INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs

2/3 cup sugar, finely granulated

1/3 cup lemon juice (roughly 2 large lemons)

3 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

½ cup heavy cream

½ tsp. all natural vanilla extract

you’ll need four,  4 – 8 Ounce oven-safe ramekins

 

STEPS

  1. Pre-heat oven to 325 Degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Prepare a water bath in a deep oven proof baking dish, such as a Pyrex dish or a small roasting pan, making sure it isn’t any greater than halfway full.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla together until thick.
  4. Stir in the lemon juice and zest and whisk well.
  5. Gently add in the cream and stir so all ingredients are well mixed.
  6. Pour the mixture into the ramekins, trying to distribute the mixture evenly.
  7. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes in the water bath prepared dish. You want the centers of the custards to be set before removing from the oven, though they will still be jiggly.
  8. Carefully remove the custards from the water bath and allow them to cool fully on heat resistant surface, such as a cutting board.
  9. Once FULLY cooled, cover tightly with cling film and refrigerate until needed.
  10. Serve with a small dollop of whipped cream or a few raspberries on top if desired.