Secrets of making English citrus cream. TOP 5 Lemon Kurdish recipes: classic, with starch, without eggs, with gelatin, cream for those who observe the fast. Video recipes.
Lemon Kurd is a versatile dessert that can be used as a filling for sweets and pastries, a base for a cream on a cake, a fondant for a sweet sandwich, and in some cases even as a separate dessert. The Lemon Kurdish recipe conquered Britain and the New World in the 19th century. Today, this dessert is considered traditional for these regions, but the geography of its popularity has expanded to almost all corners of the world. Despite the adherence of the British to traditions, the recipe of the classic lemon curd is undergoing changes. Thanks to successful culinary experiments, the dish is being improved: the cooking technology is simplified, new aromas and tastes are added. In our TOP-5 recipes, everyone will find their ideal composition for the cream.
Features of cooking lemon Kurd
The word "Kurd" came into Russian from the English "curd" (thickened) and in fact means the creamy consistency of the dish. Lemon cream, according to its production technology, is a subspecies of custard. A feature of this species is the replacement of milk with lemon juice and zest.
Thanks to such changes in the composition, the cream gets very sweet, but with a sour taste, an incredible aroma of fresh lemon. At the same time, the impregnating properties of fruit Kurd are no worse than those of fondant in fat milk. A cake with a lemon curd turns out to be just as tender and soft, but with a bright pronounced citrus aroma.
Classic lemon curd is prepared only from fresh fruits. It is noteworthy that not only pure lemon aromas are popular in different parts of the world, but also citrus mixtures - lemon and orange, lemon and lime; as well as various combinations of lemon and berries, such as strawberries or blackberries. To obtain a rich lemon flavor, in addition to juice, citrus peel is used. The brighter you want the flavor, the more zest you should use. This rule also applies to combined recipes with other fruits and berries.
In addition to juice, the cream usually contains eggs, butter and sugar. An important feature of the classic lemon curd recipe is the preparation of the egg mixture. Some cooks recommend using only yolks, arguing that such a cream will turn out to be softer and more airy.
If you took as a basis a recipe with a whole egg, you need to beat the mass thoroughly so that the protein does not create whitish flakes in the mass during the infusion of the cream. Do not be discouraged if the first time you did not succeed in stirring the eggs thoroughly, and lumps formed in the cream. Irregularities of the creamy texture are eliminated by sifting through a sieve or cheesecloth.
There are two ways to cook Lemon Kurd:
- In a saucepan directly on the fire … Cookware with a thick bottom and high sides is used. The mixture is brought to a boil and immediately removed from heat.
- Steam bath … This method of preparation is considered delicate, the mixture is not only brought to a boil, but it can last for several minutes. Despite the gentle temperature effect, it is still not recommended to overheat the cream for a long time, otherwise the mass will become "rubbery".
Butter is an important ingredient in most lemon curd cake recipes, but it must be entered correctly. To do this, it is recommended to cool the brewed cream a little at first, and only then add the oil. If you introduce it into a hot substance, then there is the likelihood of delamination of the texture. Ideally, after adding a new ingredient, the cream should be whipped with a blender.
The ready-made lemon curd cream must be poured into a sterile jar with a tight-fitting lid. It is best to store the mass in the refrigerator for no longer than 2 weeks. It is strongly not recommended to overcool the mass, otherwise the cream may exfoliate and lose its taste.
TOP 5 Lemon Kurdish Recipes
The presented TOP includes step-by-step recipes for lemon curd with a classic citrus flavor. Each of the compositions is unique, as it allows you to get a new consistency of the cream. The selected formulations imply the use of exclusively lemon juice. But after trying out the best recipes, you can experiment with combinations of juice, different fruits and berries. The amount of liquid should match the original amount indicated in the recipe. But the amount of sugar can decrease or increase depending on the sweetness of the juice. It is important to follow the step-by-step cooking technology, but the proportions may deviate slightly. It depends on the ingredients used and the thickness of the cream you want to achieve.
Classic Lemon Kurd
It should be noted that for each region of the UK, its own recipe for lemon curd is considered a classic. But the English recipe is still accepted as a reference traditional composition. Of course, the dish cannot be called dietary. But even apologists of healthy eating occasionally delight themselves with a high-calorie dessert high in vitamin C.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 222 kcal.
- Servings - 10 x 80 g
- Cooking time - 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Medium lemon - 4 pcs.
- Chicken eggs - 3-4 pcs.
- Butter 72, 5% - 50 g
- Sugar - 200 g
How to prepare the classic lemon curd step by step:
- We dip whole lemons in boiling water to rid the zest of bitterness.
- Remove the peel from the lemons; you can use a special knife or grater for this.
- Mix the grated lemon peel with sugar.
- Use a juicer to squeeze the juice out of the lemons.
- Pour the juice into the sugar mixture and mix well.
- Beat eggs at room temperature with a whisk and then pour into the lemon mixture. Stir the mass until smooth and leave to brew for 15 minutes.
- Strain the present liquid through cheesecloth or a fine sieve to separate the lemon zest from the substance.
- We put the mixture in a water bath and cook, stirring regularly.
- When the mass begins to thicken, add butter to it and continue to cook, stirring constantly.
- We remove the finished Kurd from the water bath and cover with cling film or a plastic bag cut along the length, so that the polyethylene touches the surface of the cream. In this case, the mass will cool down, but will not form a "crust" on the surface.
The classic lemon curd is used as a fondant for a cake or a filling for buns. To extend the shelf life, the cream is poured into sterilized jars, tightly closed with a lid and stored in a cool place.
Lemon Kurd with starch
Starch gives homogeneity and consistency to the mass. Lemon Kurd according to this recipe will be an excellent filling for tartlets, but it can also be served as an independent dish. If you decide to make lemon curd as a separate dessert, you don't need to thicken the mass too much, the amount of starch is reduced by 1/2 teaspoon.
Ingredients:
- Lemon juice - 125 ml
- Egg yolks - 4 pcs.
- Sugar - 85 g
- Butter 72, 5% - 60 g
- Starch - 3 tsp
Step by step preparation of lemon curd with starch:
- In a saucepan with a thick bottom, stir the egg yolks, juice and sugar.
- We continue to stir the mass by placing the pan over low heat. It is necessary to ensure that the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add butter to the mixture and stir it until the mass becomes homogeneous again.
- Add one teaspoon of starch to the mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Bring the mass to a boil over low heat. Be sure to stir the mixture constantly. The substance will thicken before boiling.
- We remove the boiling cream from the stove and pass it through cheesecloth to weed out possible lumps.
- Pour the hot cream into a container for storage and cover with cling film so that the film touches the surface of the cream.
- When the Kurd has cooled down, we put the mass in a cool place for a day.
For this step-by-step lemon curd recipe, you can use both potato starch and corn starch. The dish is served chilled and complemented by hot drinks.
Lemon Kurd without eggs
Reducing the number of eggs in the classic lemon curd will make the cream more fluid, suitable for self-serving in portioned platters. But if you are not using eggs at all, then you will need to add starch to maintain texture. A cream with a large amount of starch holds its shape well, is suitable for painting cupcakes or cakes with lemon curd in small monograms.
Ingredients:
- Lemon - 1 pc.
- Granulated sugar - 50 g
- Starch - 60 g
- Butter 72.5% - 70 g
Cooking Lemon Kurd without Eggs Step by Step:
- Peel the lemon, squeeze out the juice.
- Stir starch and granulated sugar to get a uniform powder mass.
- In small portions, add the powder to lemon juice and stir thoroughly.
- Add oil to the mixture.
- In a water bath, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and immediately remove from heat.
- Rub the lemon curd cream through cheesecloth and let cool.
Due to the high concentration of lemon in the composition, the cream is very rich in taste. But also the high density of the dish will not allow the cakes to soak quickly. Therefore, the lemon curd without eggs in cakes is used as an auxiliary ingredient - for decoration and giving a fragrant "zest". For impregnation, other types of creams are used.
Lemon Kurd with gelatin
Another popular lemon curd cake recipe is with gelatin. Such a cream will turn out to be very thick and bright in taste, suitable for decorating a dessert or the inner layer of a cake.
Ingredients:
- Lemon - 2 pcs.
- Sugar - 150 g
- Eggs - 3 pcs.
- Oil - 75g
- Water - 125 ml
- Leaf gelatin - 1 pc. (2.5g)
Step by step cooking lemon curd with gelatin:
- We dilute the gelatin according to the instructions: soak the leaf in water at room temperature, and after 15 minutes heat the composition in a water bath to 60 ° C, preventing the gelatin from straying into lumps.
- Remove the peel from the lemon and grind it, and squeeze the juice.
- Beat the eggs with sugar to dissolve the grains of sand in the mixture.
- We mix lemon juice, zest and egg composition, bring to a boil in a water bath.
- After 3 minutes, remove the pan from heat and let cool slightly.
- Pour a gelatinous solution into the composition and add oil, mix well.
- Beat the cream with a blender and let cool.
The cakes for the lemon curd cake can be different, but lush biscuits are most often used. It is also permissible to serve the dessert yourself. In this case, it is recommended to reduce the amount of gelatin to obtain a mass that resembles a pudding in consistency.
Note! At 90 ° C, gelatin loses its gelling properties, so it cannot be boiled or added to a mixture that is too hot.
Lean Lemon Kurd
Fasting involves a temporary refusal of eggs, milk and dairy products. Accordingly, the traditional version of the lemon Kurdish recipe cannot be considered lean in any way. After removing eggs and oil from the classic composition, you can thicken the texture with semolina.
Ingredients:
- Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
- Sugar - 0.5 tbsp.
- Semolina - 60 g
Step by step cooking Lean Lemon Kurd:
- Dilute sugar in juice and put the liquid on high heat.
- Stirring constantly, bring the syrup to almost a boil. And just before boiling, add semolina in a thin stream.
- Continuously stirring the porridge, bring it to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to a minimum.
- Keep the porridge on minimal heat for another 3 minutes. Do not forget to constantly stir the mass.
- When the cream has cooled, beat it with a mixer until the mass turns white and increases in volume.
- Cool the cream again in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
This recipe proves once again that fasting is not difficult. If you follow the recipe, then there will be even sweet desserts on the menu.
Video recipes for lemon Kurd
Lemon Kurd is a traditional English dessert that housewives from all over the world deservedly love. To get an original dessert with a sweet and sour taste, no complicated culinary equipment or exotic products are required. Lemon Kurdish cream is prepared in a matter of minutes and can serve both as an independent dish and as an addition to a sweet table. The recipes presented in the TOP-5 are the most popular and affordable modifications of the classic composition.
