blood orange curd!
i know it says that up top, too, but i'm just so excited about this one i can't help saying it again. lemon curd is good and all but this – this is pretty spectacular.
it's a little sweeter than lemon curd, but still has a slightly tart bite. i've used this as a tart filling, but it'd also be delicious as a filling for layer cakes or cupcakes, or blended into a classic buttercream to flavor it. YUM.
ingredients
2 fluid ounces (from 1 lemon) freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 fluid ounces (from 5-6 oranges) freshly squeezed blood orange juice
1 tablespoon blood orange zest
8 ounces unsalted butter, cut into chunks
16 egg yolks (reserve the whites for another use)
8 ounces (about 1⅓ cups) granulated sugar
how to do it:
1. in a medium saucepan, add the lemon juice, blood orange juice and zest, sugar and butter. turn the heat to medium, stir ingredients to combine, and continue stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a boil and the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. turn off heat. strain juice-and-sugar mixture through a wire mesh strainer into a clean bowl to eliminate solids.
3. in a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth and liquid.
4. carefully whisk one-third of the still hot, strained juice mixture into the egg yolks. put the remaining juice mixture back into the saucepan bring to a simmer again over low heat.
5. once the juice mixture is simmering, slowly whisk in the egg yolk mixture. watch it carefully and do not let it come to a full boil – some bubbles around the edge of the pan are fine, but the mixture actually boils, you risk letting the eggs scramble in the pot. continue simmering and whisking the curd until it begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. (the curd should thinly coat the back of a wooden spoon at this stage.)
6. turn off the heat and transfer the curd to a clean container. press plastic wrap directly over the top of the curd to keep it from forming a skin. chill at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.