The Best Way To Thicken Lemon Curd, According To A Pastry Chef

Few sensations are as delightful as biting into mouth-puckering lemon curd. The custard delivers tart notes with lemon juice and zest, while the sugar, butter, and egg yolk give your taste buds some sweet relief. The lemon curd ingredient list is fairly simple, which makes this an easy dessert to make at home. However, your dishware can be the make or break difference between an evenly heated, perfectly silky lemon curd and a soupy mess. 

We spoke to Leanne Tran, a pastry chef who leads a six-person, all-female team at New York City's Le Crocodile and Bar Blondeau, the rooftop bar at the Wythe Hotel, to get her expert opinion on the best way to thicken lemon curd. According to Tran, "Cooking the curd in a wide and shallow pot will help it thicken faster and more evenly." She says to give the mixture a consistent stir to avoid burning and recommends using a rubber spatula. Once the mixture begins to "bubble and sizzle," Tran says that's "your sign to transfer it out into a bowl and emulsify [it] in cold butter." This will thicken it as it cools.

While there are a few different ways to cook your curd (bet you didn't know you could use your microwave to make lemon curd or mix up a batch in your blender), the default method is using your stovetop to gradually heat the lemon, egg, and sugar mixture before slowly adding in the butter. Leanne Tran states "the butter will help [the lemon curd] thicken as it cools," which is exactly what you want. The best kind of lemon curd gives your spoon the slightest of resistance as you dig in. The texture should be creamy and hold its shape, yet should melt completely as soon as it hits your mouth. 

While we could eat plain spoonfuls of the stuff, lemon curd really shines when it is used to liven up more subtle flavors. After you whip up a batch of nice, thick lemony goodness, we recommend trying out some of these creative ways to use lemon curd. This homemade easy crepes recipe also makes for a deliciously, doughy curd vehicle. And you can't go wrong with a breakfast scone slathered with a lemon curd topper. It's also a delicious add-on to yogurt if you're looking for another way to liven up your breakfasts.