Clementine Curd

In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes or until light, pale, and fluffy. While continuing to mix, slowly add eggs and yolks. Beat the mixture for 1 minute longer before mixing in the clementine juice. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled, because it’ll get smooth as it cooks and the butter melts.

Put the mixture into a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat it for about 20-25 minutes, stirring constantly (lemon curd only takes 15 minutes, but I’ve found the clementine curd takes me longer). Heat until it’s thickening and it registers at least 170 F on a candy thermometer (I usually end up around 175 F before I get it to the thickness I want). Just don’t let the mixture boil. Also, remember it’ll continue thickening as it cools and then chills, so don’t feel like you have to get it to its final thickness on the stove. When it’s done, it should leave a clean path on the back of a wooden spoon when you run your finger down it.

Remove the clementine curd from the heat and stir in the clementine zest. Transfer the mixture to a wide bowl and place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a film from developing. Place the curd in the refrigerate to chill. Cover it tightly and keep it for about a week in the fridge or for about 2 months in the freezer.

Adapted from Fine Cooking’s foolproof lemon curd recipe.
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups of curd.