Simply the most delicious and easy, sweet and tangy gin lemon curd with a little gin kick! This grown-up version is the perfect addition to your bakes, desserts or just straight from the jar. Get all the tips to make this zesty delight.
Oops, I did it again…
I won ‘Star Baker‘ in the Bake Off at work.
Now before you shake your head at me and say “Louise, let someone else win“, let me tell you, I’ve tried. The first time it happened I was banned from entering.
To be honest, itās not even about the competition, it’s about the money we raise for some very personal and local charities that are close to our hearts. So when I was asked to join in again, I couldnāt say no…
The drive home from work got me thinking that Iād step away from the cake and do something different. I settled on a meringue roulade with gin lemon curd and lashings of whipped cream.
A winning gin lemon curd
You see whilst I canāt say no to a perfect meringue roulade, Iām convinced that the thing that made this one extra special and stand out was my homemade gin lemon curd.
The fresh and zingy taste of the lemon curd with gin cuts through the sweetness of the meringue and cream. A definite winner, Iām sure youāll agree?
But thatās not allā¦
The best and most amazing part of this lemon curd is it takes 15… yes 15 minutes to make.
Seriously, thatās all. So thereās no excuse not to make your own lemon curd.
There’s no boiling sugar like jam; just melting a few ingredients, whisking eggs, and then when you’re done you have the most beautiful colored curd to smooth over your meringue, spread thickly over a slice of fresh home-baked bread or add to your cake bakes.
Picture it now, a sunny Spring morning, comfy pajamas, tulips in a vase, a pot of Earl Grey, fresh bread and gin lemon curd.
Have I convinced you?
But what is lemon curd?
For years lemon curd was something that just didnāt look right to me; creamy and cloudy not like a jam. That was until I decided to try it. I love lemon meringue pie, so the lemon layer is similar, right?
Fast forward, and Iām now a huge fan especially of gin lemon curd!
If youāre like me and a little hesitant about trying that creamy yellow curd, then donāt be. It’s essentially a preserve; made of sugar, eggs and of courseā¦ lemon.
It goes perfectly on top of cakes, tarts, even mixed in with yogurt for dessert or breakfast treat. I love pairing it with some of my favorite raspberry scones or in my summer fruit tarts instead of jam.
You can make curds with lots of different fruit, I grab my homegrown rhubarb as soon as it’s ready for a beautiful pink curd, and I love this persimmon and bergamot curd from Kavey Eats, for something a little different.
How to make the perfect gin lemon curd
As I said, thereās no fancy techniques or hot sugar antics here, weāre going for simple and damn right tasty.
First, in a heatproof bowl, youāre going to add zest and juice of two lemons, caster sugar, butter, and gin. If you donāt want to add a grown-up kick, you can leave the gin out.
Any gin or your gin of choice will do, I tend to go with a light floral with a citrus taste, rather than a dry gin. In the UK, Silent Pool is the perfect partner, or more widely available across the world is Bombay Sapphire thatās great too.
Next, itās double boiler time; so youāre going to place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then melt together all the ingredients.
Now comes a little bit of multi-tasking. Whilst theyāre all melting together, in a separate smaller bowl, whisk together two eggs.
Then gradually add the whisked eggs to the melted ingredients, whisking them as you add them. Keep on whisking, you donāt want the eggs to scramble!
After 10 minutes youāll end up with a thick, creamy and beautiful lemony yellow curdā¦
As tempting as it is to take a dip with a spoon, be careful, it will be quite hot at this point, so leave it to cool down first before getting stuck in.
How do I store my fresh gin lemon curd?
If you can hold off eating the gin lemon curd whilst itās cooling, it should last you for at least a week!
When storing the lemon curd, you will want to seal it in glass preserving jars that have been heat-treated to sterilize them. The easiest and simplest way to do this is to wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinsing them but not drying.
Pop them on a baking tray and into a hot oven, about 160C for 10 mins, then youāre ready to add the curd. Before lidding the jars, soak the lids in boiling water then seal.
Storing your curd in jars in the fridge will help keep it fresh for up to 2 weeks once opened, or 2-3 months unopened. You can also freeze the curd for up to a year.
Head on over to Tin and Thyme for a full rundown on how to sterilise your glass jars ready for curds, preserves, jams and chutneys.
Top tips to a fresh and tangy lemon curd
- Control the heat – this has to be the number one top tip of all time! You want to heat the mixture gently to avoid it burning so a double boiler allows you to keep an eye on it and control the heat. You can make lemon curd in the microwave, but I like to be able to keep a watchful eye on mine.
- Smoother texture – once your curd is cooked, you can pass it through a fine sieve to remove any of the pieces of zest that are in there. Itās not essential to do, but this will give you a really smooth curd that works well in cakes and bakes.
- Cover it up – whilst your curd is cooling down, lay a piece of baking parchment or plastic wrap over the surface so that it touches the curd. This will help stop a thick skin forming over the top of it.
Recommended equipment
What I used to make homemade lemon curd with gin
- Unwaxed lemons – I prefer to use unwaxed, but if you can only get waxed lightly scrub the surface before zesting. And remember when zesting to only remove the yellow skin, not the white pith which is bitter. And for that, I recommendā¦
- Microplane citrus zester – Absolutely ideal for zesting lemons, and one of the best gadgets in my kitchen. The microplane will gently shave off the lemon zest, meaning you have more control and donāt hit that white pith.
- Pyrex mixing bowl – I know Pyrex can feel a little retro, but when it comes to double boilers, itās the best bowl to use. The Pyrex is heatproof so, even though it becomes hot, the heat from the boiling water shouldnāt put it under too much stress.
Looking for more recipe inspiration?
If you can resist eating the whole jar of lemon curd with a spoon, and fancy using it in some bakes, why not check out these recipes…
Gin Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 2 Lemon Zest and Juice
- 100 g Caster sugar or Superfine Sugar
- 50 g Butter Unsalted
- 2 tbsp Gin
- 2 Eggs Medium
Instructions
- In a heatproof bowl, add the lemon juice and zest, caster sugar butter and gin, then place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl.
- Gently stir the mixture until all of the butter has melted.
- In a small bowl, add the 2 eggs and lightly whisk.
- Gradually add the beaten eggs to the melted butter, whisking as you add them. Keep whisking the mixture over the simmering pan for about 10 minutes. The mixture will start to thicken like custard.
- When the mixture is creamy and coats the back of a spoon, pour the curd through a sieve into a jug then pour into sterilised jars. Leave to completely cool before putting the lids on.
Notes
- Storing your curd in jars in the fridge, will help keep it fresh for up to 2 weeks once opened, or 2-3 months unopened. You can also freeze the curd for up to a year.
- I used Silent Pool gin but you can use your gin of choice, or if you don’t fancy the twist remove it from the ingredients for a traditional lemon curd
- To sterilise jars, wash them in very hot soapy water or through the dishwaster on hot. Once washed, pop them on a tray and put in a hot oven (160C) for 10 to 15 minutes.
Nutrition
DISCLAIMER
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
was a hit on pavlova platter!
Thanks Lynne, that’s great to hear! It goes so well with the meringue I think. I made some as gifts this Christmas and they went down really well too.
Can you use the microwave rather than heating it over simmering water?
Hi Rhoma
You can certainly make the curd in a microwave instead.
You will need to whisk together all the ingredients, except the gin, in a large microwave-proof bowl. Then cook on full power in 1-minute intervals. Stir the curd after each minute, and after about 3 minutes the curd will have thickened. It might take up to 5 minutes. But the curd should be thick enough so that it coats the back of a metal spoon.
When the curd is thick enough stir through the gin, if adding.
Storage and jarring instructions are the same as in the post.
I hope that helps; drop me a line at hello@crumbscorkscrews.com if there are any other questions.
Good luck
Lou
I was interested in seeing if I could use this recipe but swap the lemon juice for another citrus fruit. In your opinion, do you think it will work at all? Also, I love how easy your recipe instructions are to follow and how much help your info about sterilising the jars and everything.
Thankyou in advance
Hi Phoebe, I’m really pleased that you love the recipe and the hints. I’m glad that they’re helpful.
It is certainly possible to swap the lemon for another citrus fruit; you could try lime, orange or grapefruit curd. A blood orange curd with grapefruit sounds like it could be a great combination, or a pomelo would be nice as well. You will need to make sure you have similar amounts, so if I was switching a lemon for lime, then I’d use 2 limes to 1 lemon.
I hope that makes sense, feel free to drop me an email as well.
Good luck
Lou
This recipe brought back so many memories – I remember my mum baking lemon curd jam tarts when I was little. Definitely making this one!!!
Can’t remember if I gave you 5 stars – so just adding a reply š
Pity I can’t give this one 10!!!
Awww, thanks Veronica! I love how food can bring back so many lovely memories, I think I have a food soundtrack to my life as well as a musical one. I remember baking jam and curd tarts with my Granny, but always going for the jam ones as I was never too sure about the curd ones, until I learned to love them later in life. Happy memories!
If it tastes as good as it looks then it must be amazing! Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe with #CookBlogShare
Thanks Monika! I can vouch for it tasting good… the jars don’t seem to last long in this house!
Love Love love lemon curd and gin so gonna love this
Definitely give it a try with your favourite gin! Hope you love it.
You had me at gin! I’ve been meaning to make lemon curd for a while but now I know which recipe I’ll be using!
Hehe, gin is my tipple of choice and it pairs so well with the lemon! The recipe works without it, but it definitely adds a little something extra – I’ve so many different gins to choose from but really think the Silent Pool goes well with the lemon.
What a lip smackingly great recipe. I would love to have this in my fridge!
Thanks Jenny! I love the thought of it being “lip-smacking” – it’s definitely got a zesty, lemony tang and with the gin it’s divine. There’s none left in our fridge at the moment, so I might have to rectify that soon.
And I thought lemon curd couldn’t get any better!!
Hehe! It’s certainly got a little something extra in it. Thanks Kat!
It’s like my two favourite things in a jar! YUM!
Thank you Donna; they’re some of my favourites too! I have to stop myself just eating straight from the jar with a spoon.
Oh well done you and thoroughly deserved I say. Every recipe of yours I’ve seen has me wanting to jump on the train and head over. Love homemade lemon curd, but can’t stand the bought stuff. But next time I make it, gin is going in! Gorgeous idea.
Awww thank you, that’s so lovely to say! If you’re ever over this way, there’s always cake and a cuppa to be found. I’m the same with shop brought curd, homemade is just so much more fresh and tasty.
This looks utterly delicious!!
Thank you Jane!
OMG Louise! I just love lemon curd and the addition of gin I am ALL OVER IT! No wonder you won the bake-off!!
Thanks Amy! The gin is a really nice touch as it gives the curd an extra tang, especially if you use a citrusy one. I’ve so many gins that I want to try with it, but so far Silent Pool is definitely my flavour one to go with the lemon curd.
When it’s for such a great cause, winning is irrelevant, though I can see why your contributions are so popular! This looks beautiful!
Thank you Kavey! Exactly, it’s about the great causes we raise money for, and I love baking for others.
Tried, test and tastes amazing!
Oh my, this looks amazing. Don’t think less of me but I haven’t made my own lemon curd before, but I reaaally want to make this. I’ve pinned this to make soon.
Thanks š And definitely don’t think any less, I learnt to make my own for when I was making wedding cakes years ago, but I don’t make it very often. It really is so easy to make though and this tastes so good, even without the gin. I’ve just had some on meringues for pudding after a long day, so good!