Inspiration for cooking usually strikes me thanks to a combination of things you eat or crave, and seasonal availability at the market. This one was a combination of both, and sharing it with you guys for a little sweet-tooth fix.
As I was taking boyfriend on a last goodbye food tour of NYC, we ate at Clinton St. Baking Company. For those of you who don't know of this place, it's become a bit of a pancake institution that people will wait upwards of 2 hours for. Anyhow, I wanted to try one of their specials because it came with a lemon curd, which randomly struck my fancy upon seeing it on the menu. I was sadly disappointed, as it wasn't that silky, creamy consistency I imagined it would be, and it was way too sugary for my taste.
Fast-forward to the following week when I saw bundles of Meyer lemons for sale at Trader Joe's, I decided to make lemon curd of my own for the first time.
I tested a few variations of a classic lemon curd to fit my particular taste. I wanted to create a recipe that used whole eggs instead of just the yolks, because I hate waste, and I also wanted to use coconut sugar in place of white sugar as it's a more wholesome of a choice. Success! The coconut sugar gives this lemon curd a caramel-ly twist, and using Meyer lemons in place of traditional lemon gave it a brighter, cleaner flavor than traditional lemon curd.
Ways I recommend eating it: Stuffed in Matcha Oat Crepes (pictured below recipe), slathered on some coconut French Toast (or regular toast), layered in between some Apple-Cinnamon Oat Pancakes or plain Buckwheat Pancakes, plopped onto top of Chia Jam Crisp, or just by the plain ol' spoonful out of the jar.
Meyer Lemon-Caramel Curd
*yields about 10 oz.
Gluten-free
Ingredients
3 large Eggs
1/2 cup fresh juice from Meyer Lemons (about 3 lemons)
1.5 tbsp finely grated zest from Meyer Lemons
1/3 cup of Raw Coconut Sugar
5 tbsp of unsalted Butter, cubed
Recipe
1. In a medium (about 2 qt.) saucepan, whisk together eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar. Place saucepan on stove over medium-low heat, and stir in cubes of butter. Continue whisking frequently until butter is fully melted.
2. Reduce heat to low, and whisk frequently until curd has thickened enough to hold traces of the whisk and small bubbles begin to surface (about 5-7 minutes; watch it or you can burn/curdle it!).
3. Pour curd into a heat-proof jar or bowl, cover, and let it chill until cold. Serve however you like! Curd will stay good in air-tight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Matcha Oat Crepes with Meyer Lemon-Caramel Curd, topped w/Blood Orange & Chia Seeds
