Lemon Curd

Adapted from Tom Norrington-Davies 'Just like mother used to make'.

Yield:
1 Jam Jar

Notes:

I highly recommend Tom Norrington-Davies' book, it contains so many nice homely recipes.  I've made lots of them and they've all been good.  Anyway, to the curd:  easy to make, lovely and sharp and tangy, not the cloying sickly stuff you get from supermarkets.

Ingredients:

• 50g unsalted butter
• 2 large fresh eggs
• 100g caster sugar
• grated zest and juice of 2 big or 3 small lemons

METHOD

• Melt the butter gently and leave to one side.
• In a stand mixer (or by hand!) beat the eggs and caster sugar until pale and smooth.
• Add the lemon juice and keep whisking.
• Add the the melted butter and keep whisking a little longer.
• Tranfer the mixture to a heavy bottomed saucepan, and over a low medium heat, cook the mixture stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it thickens to setting point.  This can take up to ten minutes.  You'll be able to tell it's reached a set, because it will have thickened enough to leave a comet trail trace when you drag the spoon through. 
• Decant into a sterilised jar and seal, and allow to cool, then refrigerate.  Leave at least a couple of hours to fully set before eating.
• Keeps for two weeks in the fridge.
• Lovely on toast, in ice cream or as lemon tarts.

Note:  to sterilise a used jar, first soak and scrube both glass and lid in very hot sudsy water.  Rinse with hot water, and place jar and lid on a baking tray in an oven at temp. 140 degrees C for 15 minutes or until all the water has evaporated.  Remove and allow to cool a few minutes before using.