Sunshine Lemon Curd — a bright, playful recipe

Lemon curd is a British creation that grew out of 19th century Victorian home cookery. It began as a way of turning lemons, eggs and sugar into a thick, spreadable preserve for bread and scones. Over time it has moved from being simple breakfast spread to popular filling for tarts, cakes, pastries and desserts worldwide.

This lemon curd is zingy, silky, and full of sunshine. While I usually use it to fill all my lemon cakes It’s perfect on toast, tucked into tarts, folded into yogurt, or eaten straight from the jar (no judgment here). Makes about 500ml of zesty silky lemon curd.

Ingredients

- 4 large eggs

- 350g caster sugar

- Zest and juice of 5 large lemons (unwaxed)

- 200g unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled

• Pinch of fine salt

• One tablespoon cornstarch

Why this combo? Whole eggs give body and cornstarch gives stability and makes it creamier, and butter gives that luscious finish.

Method — Sunshine Stir (stovetop, classic way)

1. Prep: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs,  and sugar until smooth and slightly pale. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, butter, cornstarch and a pinch of salt.

2. Heat: Pour the mixture into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low–medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula.

3. Thickness test: Keep stirring! After 8–12 minutes the curd will start to thicken and coat the back of the spoon. If you have a candy/instant-read thermometer, cook until it reaches about 170–175°F (77–80°C). Do not let it boil — boiling can make it grainy.

4. Finish: Its ready once thick in consistency, but still pourable, it will thicken more once set.

5. Strain & chill: For the silkiest texture, press the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any cooked egg bits and zest. Pour into sterilised jars.

Serving ideas (the fun stuff)

- Use it as filling for your lemon cakes.

- Spread on warm scones, toast, or croissants.

- Layer it in pavlovas, fill cupcakes or macarons, or swirl into plain yogurt and granola.

- Make mini tartlets: blind-bake shells, fill with chilled curd, top with whipped cream or meringue.

- Use as a glossy topping for cheesecakes.

Storage

- Refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to 10–14 days (if you’ll eat it sooner than that, it’s gone faster than the calendar predicts).

- Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container; thaw overnight in the fridge.

- If canning: follow safe water-bath canning procedures for high-acid preserves.

Final flourish

Spoon a little of this lemon sunshine onto everything: morning toast, a lazy dessert, or a daring midnight snack. Pucker up and enjoy — you just made a jar of joy.