Lemon Curd

use this delightfully sweet/tart spread to fill lemon cupcakes, or to top pancakes, or to spread on a blueberry muffin, or to fill a lemon tart, or to swirl in vanilla yogurt, or to spread between 2 sugar cookies, or to roll inside a crepe, or to top a bowl of fresh berries....



juice and zest of 3 lg lemons
1  1/2 c. sugar
1/4 lb ( 1 stick or 1/2 c.) unsalted butter, room temp
4 x-large eggs
1/8 tsp salt

Put sugar and lemon zest in a food processor fitted with steel blade.  Pulse until zest is finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter in bowl of stand mixer, or with hand mixer;   beat in the sugar and lemon mixture.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt.  Mix until combined.

Pour mixture into a 2-qt saucepan and cook, stirring constantly,  over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.  The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F.  Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.  


from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook;  1999