Lemon Curd

I always find that store bought lemon curd is too sweet for my tastes! So I always try to make it where I can. This is a recipe that is more tart than sweet, and goes perfect with a number of things! Lemon meringue pie, piped into cupcakes, or spread on pancakes, you really can't go wrong!

Ingredients:

- 3 eggs

- 2 egg yolks

- 180g caster sugar

- Juice and zest of 2 small lemons

- Juice and zest of 1 lime

- 150g butter

Method:

- Bring a saucepan with a shallow amount of water to the boil, only around 1-1.5inches worth.

- Whisk your eggs, egg yolks, sugar, juice and zest together into a heat proof bowl. Make sure this bowl will fit on top of your saucepan (we're using the water bath/bain marie method)!

- Once whisked together, place the bowl on top of the boiling saucepan. Ensure that the boiling water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl, or it will cook the egg too aggressively. If there's too much water, just tip some out.

- Gently whisk your egg/juice mixture continuously while it's over the boiling water, until the sugar is dissolved*.

- Remove the water bath from the heat, and add your butter. Mix with a spoon until melted.

- Once melted, return your water bath back to heat, and mix over a medium-low heat for 15mins, or until the mix is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

- Pass mixture through a sieve while still hot, and pour into sterilised jars.

- Store in the fridge, and eat within a fortnight (if it lasts that long!).

Notes:

*To tell if your sugar is dissolved, either using a spoon or your fingers (be careful if using your fingers! It may be a bit hot), pinch a small amount of mixture out of the bowl. Rub the mixture between your fingers, if it feels grainy it needs a bit longer! If it's nice and smooth, your sugar is dissolved.