Citrus Curd Cups

Citrus Curd Cups are a refreshing way to incorporate bright flavors into your dessert. TABLE Magazine Contributing Editor Anna Franklin rounds up some of the tastiest winter citrus and creates a deliciously tart layered dessert to lighten the gloomy season.

Zest vs. Juice of a Citrus Fruit: Which is Better for a Citrus Dessert? 

In the winter months, not a lot ripens. For these citrus curd cups, you’re taking advantage of the fact that one thing does: citrus fruits. You can pick yourself which one you want to use in the recipe, but the image uses orange, lime, and cranberry. Whichever citrus you use, the recipe deploys a combination of zest and juice of a citrus, but what’s the difference? While both zest and juice come from citrus fruits, zest comes from out when you grate the colorful portion of the fruit’s rind. Richly flavored oils reside in the citrus zest. Juice is the liquid inside the fruit, and it provides both flavor and acidity, and a sizable percentage of water. For desserts, zest is more of a flavor driver than juice, as its strength and tang dances a beautiful dance with sugars and other typical dessert ingredients. Think of it this way: Lemon zest flavor dissolves in fat, and lemon juice dissolves in water. Lemon zest is aroma, lemon juice is flavor. 

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
lemon lime and grapefruit curd dessert

Citrus Curd Cups


  • Author: Anna Franklin

Description

A balance of zesty and sweet.


Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1½ tbsp of cornstarch
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 tsp of citrus zest (lemon, lime, grapefruit or another citrus of your choice)
  • 6 tbsp of freshly squeezed citrus juice (lemon, lime, grapefruit)
  • 3 tbsp of unsalted butter at room temperature
  • ½ tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan whisk together the sugar and cornstarch
  2. Place on medium heat and add your yolks, citrus zest, citrus juice, butter, and salt and whisk continuously until thickened. Do not be tempted to increase the heat. Keep it to medium and just keep whisking. Increasing the heat with scald or cook the yolks and your curd will tasty eggy, so just be patient!
  3. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent skin from forming and refrigerate until needed.
  4. Once cool, pipe into serving dishes and garnish with crumbled shortbread cookies.

Recipe and Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.

SUBSCRIBE TO TABLE'S Email Newsletter

Choose your region

We respect your privacy.

spot_img

Related Articles

Garden Herb Cured Salmon Salad

An end of summer delight.

A Menu for the Zodiac Sign Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Plan the perfect birthday party for the Pisces in your life.

Curry Squash Soup

A hearty dish for the end of summer.