5 new ways to use lemon curd

If you’re a fan of tangy and sweet flavours, then you’re probably already familiar with lemon curd. This creamy and zesty spread is made from a combination of lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter, and it’s traditionally used as a filling for tarts, cakes, and pies. But did you know that lemon curd can be used in a variety of other ways as well?

From breakfast to dessert, there are many creative and delicious ways to incorporate this versatile ingredient into your cooking repertoire. In this blog post, we’ll explore five new and unexpected ways to use lemon curd that will tantalise your taste buds and inspire your culinary creativity.

First of all, what is lemon curd?

Founded in English in the early 1800s, the word curd comes from the process of acidulating cream with lemon juice to form curds, then straining these through a cheesecloth. Hence the reason why lemon curd was once known as lemon cheese.

The lemon curd we know, and love today is typically used in desserts and is made with beaten egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and zest, gently cooked together until thick and then allowed to cool, forming a soft, flavourful spread with a texture like custard, only thicker!

But if you’re looking for a new way to experience the tantalisingly tangy flavours of lemon curd, here are 5 new ways you may not have tried before:

1. Lemon curd as a topping

Why not add to your favourite buttercream for a zesty twist on a traditional cake topping? It’s a quick and easy way to add a new level of flavour to your bake.

Lemon Curd Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a zesty tasty treat for all the family! The perfect addition for summer afternoon tea in the garden!

350g Self Raising Flour

140g Golden Caster Sugar

2 Lemons zested and juiced

2 Eggs, beaten with 150ml soured cream and 150g Our Classic Lemon Curd

100g Butter

150ml Double Cream

3 tbsp Our Classic Lemon Curd

Lemon zest for decoration

Method

Heat the oven to 180C/ fan 200C/ Gas 6. Blend the flour, sugar, lemon juice and zest, egg mixture and butter together.

Divide between 12 muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and risen.

Allow to cool on a wire rack.

For the topping, mix Our Classic Lemon Curd and cream together and whip until thick and creamy.

Top the cakes with lashings of lemon cream and decorate with a little lemon zest – enjoy.

2. Lemon curd as a filling

Lemon curd makes for a delicious and tangy filling in a variety of recipes, from cakes and cupcakes to tarts and pastries.

Lemon & Poppy Seed Cake

This deliciously moist cake is filled with poppy seeds and buttery lemon flavour.

225g butter, softened​

1 Jar Cottage Delight All Butter Lemon Curd​

225g caster sugar​

4 medium Free Range Eggs​

225g self-raising flour​

1tsp baking powder​

2tbsp poppy seeds​

2 lemons (zested)​

2tbsp milk​

400g Buttercream Icing

100g Blueberries

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan gas mark 4 and grease and line two 20cm cake tins with baking paper

Using a handheld electric whisk or a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and poppy seeds. Add these dry ingredients into the egg mixture a few tablespoons at a time and continue to mix until a smooth batter forms. Add the lemon zest, milk and mix again

Divide the mixture between the two tins and use a spatula to smooth over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and well risen. Allow to cool briefly in the tins before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely

Once cooled, spread 3/4 Cottage Delight All Butter Lemon Curd on one cake and sandwich with the top layer

Using a flexible spatula, spread buttercream icing evenly over the cake and place in the fridge for 15 minutes

Once set, decorate the cake with remaining All Butter Lemon Curd Online and blueberries to serve​.

3. Lemon curd in a drink

Lemon curd can be used to add a bright and zesty flavour to drinks such as cocktails, teas, and lemonades.

Lemon Curd Milkshake

Cool and classy, milkshakes are a great alcohol-free option. Offer a choice of garnishes like mini marshmallows or chocolate flakes.

2 large scoops vanilla ice cream

1tbsp Our Classic Lemon Curd

250ml semi-skimmed milk

Method

Simply blend together the ingredients and serve.

Top it off with whipped cream and crushed digestive biscuits.

4. Lemon curd in a classic

Classic lemon curd recipes are classics for a reason. There’s no denying that there’s some recipes where lemon curd is just a given.

Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts

Perfect for afternoon tea, these miniature tarts are the perfect mouthful and go perfectly with a nice hot drink or a glass of fizz.

Mini shortcrust pastry cases

200g vanilla butter cream

Our Classic Lemon Curd

Mini Meringues

Method

These Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts are made using mini shortcrust pastry cases.

Mix together 1 tablespoon Our Classic Lemon Curd with 200g vanilla butter cream until light and fluffy.

Fill the pastry cases, then top each one with a mini meringue.

5. Lemon curd in a salad

And now, for one last little surprise, how about the great idea of using lemon curd in place of plain old lemon juice to add a fantastic sweet-tart zinginess to a vinaigrette for salads!

Lemon Curd Vinaigrette

Method

Take a modest spoonful of Our Classic Lemon Curd, together with a gurgle of good olive oil, a measure of whole grain Dijon mustard to your taste, a dribble of white wine vinegar, salt and black pepper, and maybe a bit of minced garlic, then whisk until you have a smooth dressing that’ll also go amazingly well with so many other salad staples and veggies.

Our curd selection.

Our delicious collection of dreamy curds boasts both traditional flavours and vibrant combinations to please even the pickiest of palates, all carefully crafted for great taste in our kitchens in the Staffordshire Moorlands. All are handmade in small batches, have no artificial additives, are vegetarian and gluten free.

With its refreshing and citrusy taste, lemon curd is particularly well-suited for the warm days of summer, when we crave light and bright flavours. So go ahead and experiment with these new ways to use lemon curd this season and elevate your culinary game!

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