Lemon Curd

also called lemon cheese · lemon spread

Three ways to read this recipe

The table

Lemon Curd: ingredients down the left, what to do with them across. Tap any cell to cross it off.
6 large(110 g)egg yolkswhisk in a saucepan until palewhisk in the lemoncook to 170°F (77°C), 8 minbeat in the butterstrain into a jar and chill for 3 hr
2 large(100 g)eggs
1 cup(200 g)granulated sugar
1/4 tsptable salt
3/4 cup(180 mL; 4 to 5 lemons)lemon juice
2 tsp(from 2 lemons)lemon zest
6 Tbs(85 g, cold and cubed)unsalted butter
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.8 things to get out.

Pans and tools

1whisk in a saucepan until pale

2whisk in the lemon

goes in with what step 1 made

4beat in the butter

goes in with what step 3 made

Cooking it

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
at least 3 hr 8 mintwo waits that overlap count once
Needs you
8 minof the steps that give a time

3 of the 5 steps never say how long they take, so both numbers are floors. Nothing here says whether you can walk away, so all 8 min of it is counted as time you are standing over it. The recipe itself says 3 hr 30 min.

  1. whisk in a saucepan until pale

    not timedfrom the start

  2. whisk in the lemon

    not timedfrom the start

  3. cook to 170°F (77°C), 8 min

    8 minneeds you(assumed)from the start

  4. beat in the butter

    not timed8 min in

  5. strain into a jar and chill for 3 hr

    3 hrwalk away(read off the step)8 min in

Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them. The minutes are always the recipe’s own; a dashed edge means we worked out from the step whether you have to be there, and a dotted one means nothing was said, so we assumed you are standing over it.

You'll need saucepan

Goes with

See how it is written
>> title: Lemon Curd
>> category: Custards & Puddings
>> tags: lemon, custard, spread, stovetop, make-ahead
>> counters: Bakery
>> aka: lemon cheese, lemon spread
>> pairs-with: crepes
>> servings: 12
>> time: 3 hr 30 min
>> step.2: whisk in the lemon
>> step.3: cook to 170°F (77°C), 8 min
>> step.4: beat in the butter

Whisk @egg yolks{6%large}(110 g), @eggs{2%large}(100 g), @granulated sugar{1%cup}(200 g), @table salt{1/4%tsp} in a #saucepan{} until pale.

Whisk @lemon juice{3/4%cup}(180 mL; 4 to 5 lemons), @lemon zest{2%tsp}(from 2 lemons) into @&(~1)eggs{}.

Cook @&(~1)mixture{} over medium-low, stirring constantly, until it thickens at 170°F (77°C), about ~{8%min}.

Beat @unsalted butter{6%Tbs}(85 g, cold and cubed) into @&(~1)hot curd{} a cube at a time.

Strain @&(~1)curd{} into a jar and chill for ~{3%hr}.