No-Fail Orange Curd Recipe
Calories: 761kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 2 cups
Description
When oranges are in season, you must make homemade orange curd. This simple, easy no-fail recipe for curd filling is the best you will ever taste. Sweet, tangy with a luxurious texture. An orange curd that takes no more than 20 minutes to prepare and can be used as a filling for cakes, pies, and desserts is a must-have recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 Egg yolks (large)
- 1 Whole egg (large)
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon Orange zest
- ½ tablespoon Lemon zest
- 1 cup (240 ml) Orange juice
- 4 tablespoon Lemon juice
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar fine grain
- 2 oz (60 g) Unsalted butter chilled, cubed
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients before you start. Cut the butter into cubes - keep chilled.
- Place oranges and lemon in the microwave for 10 seconds before you cut and squeeze this will make it easy. Warm the orange juice for about 30 secs.
- Use a double boiler or make your own - To make your own add an inch of water to the saucepan with a heatproof bowl on top. The water should not touch the top bowl.Pro tip - we use a double-boiler to prevent the eggs from getting scrambled with direct heat.
- In the top bowl of your double boiler - Add egg and yolks, sugar, salt, cornstarch, and zest. Whisk until light and fluffy - sugar should almost melt.
- Add orange juice and lemon juice slowly into the egg mixture. Now place the bowl on the double boiler
- Continue to stir on medium heat. The mixture should cook with just the steam from the water in the saucepan below.Pro tip - if you cook on low it will take forever to thicken. Since we are cooking on a double boiler you can keep the heat medium heat and stir continuously.
- After about 8 to 10 minutes - you will notice the foam that was caused by whipping the egg mixture will slowly disappear and the mixture will start to thicken.
- Continue to stir until it coats the back of your wooden spoon or spatula. Remove from heat.
- Gradually add cubes of butter one at a time. Make sure each piece is well incorporated. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.Pro tip - the cool butter stops the cooking and makes it smooth and velvety. Add it slow but not too slow or the last of the butter won't incorporate in cooled curd.
- I like to transfer mine to a mason jar.
Recipe Notes
Storage
- The curd is best stored in a mason or glass jar in the fridge. The presence of eggs in lemon or orange curd makes it a perishable filling so any item that has homemade lemon or orange curds such as cakes and pie needs to be placed in the fridge.
- Avoid keeping fruit curd or citrus fillings in metal containers as it can react with the metal.
- Egg yolks can react with the metal such as aluminum and cause it to become green in color
Tips for making this curd
- The taste of the orange depends on the oranges and lemons you use. Use good quality sweet oranges, not oranges that are sour otherwise it will have a very sour orange curd.
- Juice the oranges easily - a great way to exact as much juice from oranges is to microwave the fruits for a few seconds (10 seconds).
- When juicing the oranges - try not to take the membranes and seeds. These can impart a bitter flavor to the curd.
- Warm the orange juice - warming the juice helps it incorporate into the egg yolks well.
- Egg yolks / Whole eggs - I find that all egg yolks have a higher risk of curdling but the one whole egg does help stabilize it.
- Whip eggs and sugar until light and fluffy - If you whip the eggs with sugar until the sugar almost dissolves it prevents the egg from curdling.
- Do not let the curd boil - cooking on medium to low will prevent the curd from curdling. If the curd boils, it will give you orange-flavored scrambled eggs. So no matter how boring - cook on medium to low heat for 10 to 15 mins.
- If you find the curd steaming up - take it off the heat for a few seconds this will help stabilize it.
- How to know if the curd is done? You can use a thermometer and check until the curd reaches 170 F., But I find the best test is taste. Once the curd is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon, taste it. It should not have any taste of eggs or cornstarch. If necessary cook for 30 secs more.
- Add butter slowly - this will help bring the temperature of the curd down slowly without curdling.
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Did you make this recipe? Share it with me.Tag @veenaazmanov on instagram or #hashtag it #veenaazmanov