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close up of a jar of microwave lemon curd.

Microwave Lemon Curd

Elien Lewis
A smooth and silky homemade lemon curd made in the microwave using eggs as the thickener. It's bright, tangy, and thick enough for spreading, filling, and piping. Makes around 400g lemon curd.
5 from 13 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Fillings and frostings
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 143 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 large egg
  • 150 g granulated sugar
  • 120 g fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 85 g unsalted butter cold and cubed

Instructions
 

  • In a microwave-proof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, and salt until well combined. Whisk in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
  • Place the bowl in the microwave and cook in 40-second increments, stirring each time for around 3-4 minutes. This time may increase or decrease depending on your microwave strength. The curd may puff up a little near the end of cooking time. There may be little pieces of cooked egg, but they will be sieved out later.
  • Check that the curd is thick enough by dipping it in a metal spoon. The curd should thickly and easily coat the back of the spoon.
  • Stir the cold cubed butter through the hot curd and stir until smooth. Pour the finished curd through a fine-mesh sieve, and then into clean jars. It will thicken more as it cools. Once cooled, store it in the fridge.

Notes

  • Freezing: Lemon curd can be frozen for up to three months. It doesn't freeze very solid, so you can scoop what you need straight from the freezer.
  • Double boiler method: If you don't have a microwave, whisk together all the ingredients except the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook while stirring regularly for around 12-15 minutes until thick, then stir through the cold butter.
  • Cup sizes: The cup sizes given are for US cups. Note that these are smaller than metric cup sizes.
  • Metric is recommended: Using a kitchen scale to measure grams will give the best and most consistent results.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 143kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 69mgPotassium: 17mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 314IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 0.2mg
Keyword Curd, Lemon
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