Lemony Curd Castles

I’m a lazy cook

But I love eating

Puddings

Not always chocolate

Sweet tangy lemony puds are next in line as far as my-puddings-worth-making go. My mum is a whizz at Lemon Delicious, though I prefer her Lemon Meringue Pie. And now we’re talking meringues your bum will never look back with this Heavenly Lemon Curd, Meringue & Whippy Cream Combo, first introduced to me by my friend Michelle**.

This pud just keeps on keeping on. Especially when you make a double mixture of:

Lemon Curd   

recipe adapted from ‘little &Friday cookbook’

250 grams butter

2 cups caster sugar

Juice and zest of 8 fine home grown Hawke's Bay lemons

6 large home raised eggs

Grab a metal bowl and put all ingredients in it, except the happy eggs, and place over a pot of simmering water. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Remove from heat. In another bowl beat up those lovely eggs with an electric beater then add to the first mixture and put it back over the simmering pot. On low. And stir. The mixture will get frothy and you might think - where is my creamy curd going to turn up?

Then all of a sudden your potion thickens and looks like this. 

 

 I decanted mine straight into 5 of the 500 jars I’m hoarding for such an occasion, screwed the lids on tight and left them to cool. According to l&f this mixture will live in the fridge for 3 weeks. They strained their curd but I like the extra zing and chewiness from the zest so left it in.

Meringues

 Now I am a kiwi, but not a pavlova maker. My first attempt at these little egg-white/caster sugar delights resulted in marshmallow THINGS that would have made excellent self adhesive bra fillers. With 5 jars of lemony curd begging to be consumed (I don't like it on toast or brioche, but you might) I tried another recipe. From ye old faithful Edmonds Cookbook. Then I doubled it and beat it up my way.

4 large egg whites (I used the yolks in whitebait fritters)

1 cup of caster sugar

Beat egg-whites until stiff with an electric beater, unless you're in training for the pub arm wrestling comp. Add half the sugar and beat some more. Then mix in remaining sugar. And beat again. By now your meringues will look as silky as one of my mum's silk nighties .

Put soup-spoon-sized-dollops onto a greased tray and cook – this is the important part – at 100 degrees celsius for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave, with door shut (if it’s not 9pm and you're waiting for your pudding) for another hour.

Finally whip some fresh cream and assemble. Aka Eton Mess. Meringue Sandwich. Curd Castle. You choose. NB. Many meringue-s were consumed in the styling of these pics. If necessary, these babies will live happily in an airtight tin for as long as you can manage.

pps. **Aforementioned fabulous cook, all round good sort and proprietor of 'Vudu Cafe' x 2 in Queenstown, Michelle Freeman, often gives jars of Lemon Curd as Christmas presents. This pud tastes extra divine eaten directly from the fridge on Boxing Day with a silver spoon.

Bon Apetite

(Regency china courtesy of Nana's kitchen)