Barbara Kafkas Lemon Curd Recipes

THE EASIEST LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Put the butter in a large (at least 6 cup) microwave-safe glass bowl or measuring cup. Set your microwave on 50 percent power and melt the butter, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
• Pour butter into a blender and add lemon zest, juice, sugar, eggs, egg yolk and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into the same glass bowl you melted the butter in. (You don't need to wash it.)
• Microwave the curd mixture, on full power, in 1-minute intervals for 5 minutes. Whisk furiously between intervals, especially around the edges of the bowl. It should start to thicken. (If it looks like it's starting to thicken before 5 minutes, stop and continue to the next step; microwaves can vary.)
• Reduce power to 70 percent and continue to microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes, whisking every 30 seconds, until the curd thickens enough to coat a spoon, and looks slightly puffed and spongy. (It will continue to thicken as it chills.) An instant-read thermometer should register 180 degrees.
• Whisk well and inspect the curd. If you think there are any coagulated bits of egg, strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Or if it looks smooth, you can leave it in its current bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and let the curd cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours.

BARBARA KAFKA'S LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Place butter, sugar, lemon juice and zests in an 8-cup glass measure or a 2 1/2-quart souffle dish. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook at 100 percent power in a 650- to 700-watt oven for 4 minutes. Prick plastic to release steam.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Whisk together eggs in a small bowl. Whisk about 1/4 cup of the butter mixture into the eggs to warm them. Scrape egg mixture back into measure, whisking constantly. Cook uncovered for 3 minutes.
• Leaving dish in oven, whisk until smooth. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes more. Remove from oven and puree in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

LEMON-ORANGE MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Make lemon curd and place in the refrigerator to chill while finishing recipe.
• To make the crust, sift together flour and salt in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add lard and butter and mix with a paddle until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cold water and mix only until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
• Roll out pastry or press it into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Prick bottom all over with a fork. Line with baking parchment or aluminum foil and weight with beans or pie weights. Chill for 15 minutes.
• Preheat conventional oven to 425 degrees.
• Place crust in oven and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set. Remove beans and parchment and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven.
• Place the marmalade in a small ceramic ramekin. Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power in the microwave oven for 30 seconds. With a pastry brush, brush marmalade on the hot crust, covering it evenly. Set crust aside to cool.
• Peel and section juice oranges, if using them. Place sections on paper toweling to absorb juice. Preheat broiler.
• To assemble pie, place orange sections over the bottom of the crust. Spread chilled lemon curd over orange sections. Place in the refrigerator while making meringue.
• Preheat the broiler
• Place egg whites in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time and beat until shiny and soft peaks form.
• Spread meringue over lemon curd. Make sure the meringue covers the curd. Place under the broiler for 5 minutes, or until no longer sticky when lightly pressed with a finger. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

ORANGE CURD

Steps:

• Cut peeled oranges in half as if for juicing. Squeeze out as much juice as possible with your hands into a sieve over a 4-cup glass measure. With the back of a wooden spoon, squeeze any remaining juice from the pulp through the sieve into the measure (you should have about Y cup). Discard pulp.
• Add butter and sugar to orange juice. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap and cook in a 650- to 700-watt oven at 100 percent power for 3 minutes. Prick plastic to release steam. Remove from oven; uncover.
• In a small bowl, lightly whisk eggs to combine. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of orange mixture into the eggs to warm them. Thoroughly whisk the warmed eggs back into the orange mixture. Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power for 1 minute.
• Remove from oven and whisk to combine. Return to oven and cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power for 45 seconds longer.
• Remove from oven and immediately pour into a blender. Add lemon juice and process for about 45 seconds, or until smooth.
• Scrape into bowl or plastic container and refrigerate until cold.