Lemon Custards Recipes

SIMPLE LIGHT LEMON CUSTARD

Steps:

• Combine eggs, lemon rind and sugar in a saucepan on medium heat.
• Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent clumping, until mixture becomes well combined and light yellow.
• Add in light margarine and lemon juice, keep whisking and cooking for about 5 minutes.
• Set aside, let cool before serving.
• Mixture will thicken even more when cold.
• Enjoy on top of cakes, pies, fruit, ice cream -- or on its own!

LEMON CUSTARD

Steps:

• Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Strain custard through a fine mesh strainer. Use immediately.

MY FAVORITE LEMON PUDDING

Steps:

• Whisk the sugar and the cornstarch together in a medium saucepan. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the egg yolks, zest, and salt and cook, stirring frequently at first and constantly towards the end, over medium heat until thickened enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and butter. Pour through a strainer into a large serving bowl or 4 individual serving dishes.
• Let cool to room temperature. Chill, loosely covered, for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days, or until set and thoroughly chilled. Serve chilled.

LEMON CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place eight 6 oz.
• ramekins in a deep baking pan.
• Put the yolks, eggs, and sugar in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
• Stir in the lemon juice and the cream.
• Pour the mixture through a very fine mesh strainer, then ladle into the ramekins.
• Place the pan with the ramekins into the oven, then fill the pan with hot water about half-way up the sides of the ramekins.
• (It's easier to fill the pan when it's already in the oven).
• Cover the pan lightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 50 minutes.
• You can tell they are done when, if you gently shake the pan, the sides are firm but the center of each ramekin, about the size of a quarter, is still jiggly like jello (not liquid!).
• That's okay- I promise.
• That means they are perfect.
• Do not overcook, or your custard will taste like scrambled eggs.
• Remove the custards from the water bath and refrigerate overnight, but for at least 6 hours.
• As they chill, they will completely firm up.
• Before serving, let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• I like to serve these with a crisp cookie, like a gingersnap.

LEMON CUSTARD FILLING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or double boiler combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Mix well. Beat the egg yolks and water together, then whisk into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and butter. Cover with plastic wrap until completely cooled.

LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.
• Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
• Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

NO-BAKE LEMON CUSTARDS WITH STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine cream, sugar, lemon zest and salt over medium-high heat. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar. Simmer vigorously until mixture thickens slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let sit until mixture has cooled slightly and a skin forms on top, about 20 minutes.
• Stir mixture, then strain through fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup with a spout; discard zest. Pour mixture evenly into six 6-ounce ramekins or small bowls.
• Refrigerate, uncovered, until set, at least 3 hours.
• As the custards chill, prepare the strawberry topping: Toss strawberries and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Let fruit macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the sugar is dissolved.
• To serve, top each lemon custard with some strawberry topping and grind black pepper on top.

LEMON MERINGUE CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Make the custard:
• In a food processor grind the sugar and the zest until the zest is chopped fine and transfer the mixture to a large saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water, bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and boil the syrup for 5 minutes. Stir in the milk, the cream, and the salt and cook the mixture until it is hot, but do not let it boil. In a bowl whisk together the yolks and the whole eggs, add the hot milk mixture in a stream, whisking, and stir in the lemon juice. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into twelve 2/3-cup ramekins set in a large baking pan, add enough hot water the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins, and bake the custards in the middle of a preheated 325°F. oven for 40 minutes, or until they are just set. (Alternatively, the custard can be baked in the same manner in a 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish for 1 hour, or until it is just set.) Remove the ramekins from the pan, let the custards cool completely, and chill them, covered loosely with wax paper, for at least 3 hours. The custards may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.
• Make the meringue:
• In a small saucepan combine the sugar with 1/3 cup water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the syrup until it registers 248°F. on a candy thermometer and remove the pan from the heat. While the syrup is boiling, in a bowl with an electric mixer beat the whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks. With the mixer running add the hot syrup in a stream, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, and beat in the lemon juice.
• Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, blot the top of the custard dry with paper towels, and pipe the meringue decoratively onto it. Sprinkle the meringue with the dragées, transfer the custards to a large baking pan filled with ice, and bake them in the top third of a preheated 450°F. oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the meringue is golden. The lemon meringue custards may be made 3 hours in advance and kept in the large baking pan filled with more ice.

MOM'S LEMON CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing filling., In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter until well blended. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk, flour and salt; mix well. Stir in lemon juice and zest; set aside. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; gently fold into lemon mixture., Pour into crust. Bake until lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, garnish with whipped cream, lemon and mint. Store in the refrigerator.

HOMEMADE LEMON CURD

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk eggs, sugar and lemon juice until blended. Add butter and lemon zest; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a metal spoon. Transfer to a small bowl; cool 10 minutes. Refrigerate, covered, until cold.

BEST LEMON SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Process 2 cups flour, butter, and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; press into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of the crust are golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool crust to room temperature.
• Beat white sugar, eggs, 1/4 cup flour, lemon juice, baking powder, and lemon zest together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy; pour onto the cooled crust.
• Bake in the oven until custard is set, 25 to 28 minutes. Cool lemon squares completely; dust the top with more confectioners' sugar.

LEMON CUSTARD CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place in a dish towel-lined baking dish or roasting pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light; whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then milk and zest.
• With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently with a whisk (batter will be quite liquid).
• Divide batter among prepared custard cups; place baking dish in oven and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups. Bake until puffed and lightly browned (but pudding is still visible in bottom), 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

LEMON CUSTARDS WITH LEMON VERBENA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in medium saucepan. Boil until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 4 minutes. Add sugar; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream. Whisk yolks to blend in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Whisk in lemon juice.
• Strain custard through sieve into 4-cup measuring cup. Divide among six 2-cup ramekins or soufflé dishes. Cover ramekins with foil. Place ramekins in 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake custards until just set, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let custards cool in water in pan. Transfer ramekins to refrigerator. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve chilled.