So, here's the deal. When I get really, really busy and my brain is in it's craftiest, creativist mode and I start to get overwhelmed, I go to the kitchen. Not to eat, I go there to make something. Currently my plate is so full I need to upgrade to a platter just to keep it all balanced nicely. My To-Do list is out-the-door long and I have about a thousand things that I need accomplish. Usually sewing is the place that I catch my sanity and regroup my thoughts, but today I didn't have any sewing ready to complete and I needed a way to organize my brain so, I made Lemon-Mandarin Curd. I think it would be superbly delicious in my recipe for Lemon Curd Sweetie Pies, especially combined with a little blob of the homemade orange marmalade that my mother and I canned.
I used Ina Gartner's Lemon Curd recipe and added mandarin oranges to it. Here's how I did it:
Lemon-Mandarin Curd
4 lemons
3 mandarin oranges
2 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
6 large eggs
Juice from your lemons/oranges
1/8 tsp salt
Using a veggie peeler, peel the lemon rind, being careful not to get the white stuff (which is apparently called "Pith" and I can't get the word out of my head now that I've heard it). Peel the mandarin oranges, also being careful of the white stuff (I'm just going to keep calling it that!) but don't worry too much if you end up with some anyway. I started to scrape it off the orange peels but then realized that there really wasn't enough there to make a difference. Lemons have really thick white stuff and it's really bitter, so that's why you have to avoid it. Anyway...
Put the peels in your food processor, add the sugar and then process it until the peels are really super fine.
Add the butter, in cubes to the mixture.
Blend until thouroughly mixed.
Add eggs one at a time. I always crack my eggs into a separate dish and then plop them in there. This way I have a better chance of avoiding an egg shell in the mixture, which is always pretty gross.
Next, squeeze the juice out of your fruit, if you haven't already done so,
and add to the mixture along with the salt.
Process for a few seconds and then transfer to a large sauce pan.
Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until a candy thermometer registers 170*. Let thicken at room temperature or put in clean, sterilized jars.
I might decide to hog it all myself or, maybe I'll be generous and give a jar away. (Probably the small one, ha ha!)
Now QUICK!! Go make those cookies! You'll be glad, I promise!
-Kristi
This looks SO good. Our neighbor next door just moved out, and there is a large lemon. I'm thinking those lemons need to be picked, you know, until a new neighbor moves in....
ReplyDelete