If looking at this picture makes you swoon, then you're a member of the Lemon Lovers Club, whether you know it or not and if you've never yet experienced the amazingness of homemade lemon curd, I urge you to drop everything and whip up a batch of this today. I promise you that waking up with the knowledge that there's a jar of this in your fridge, will fill you with sunny happiness no matter what the weather!!

Now, when the lemon curd urge strikes, could you buy a jar of readymade from the store? Absolutely! But expect to pay a pretty penny for a small container and I promise you that it won't have half the delightful flavor and tang of homemade. Making this at home is not only easy and thrifty but a great way to use up leftover egg yolks, which in my house accumulate rather rapidly (I eat a lot of egg white omelets!) and the rest of the ingredients are items you probably have handy in your pantry and fridge.

This liquid gold is so yummy you can eat it right out of the jar by the spoonful but our favorite way to enjoy it around here is to layer it with yogurt, berries and this granola for a standout parfait.

It's also amazing drizzled over poundcake or used in a trifle or on top of vanilla ice cream (someone got a little over excited with the lemon curd here) to make a sweet lip-puckering treat!

Really, the only bad thing I can think of is when somebody leaves the jar likes this resulting in a case of severe lemon curd deprivation and a minor tantrum (most likely from me). My advice, hide your jar in the way back of the fridge where most kids will never bother foraging!!

Divine Homemade Lemon Curd

Makes 1 pint

Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

• 1 1/4 cups sugar

• 4 large eggs, beaten (you can also replace most of the whole eggs with egg yolks, subbing in 2 egg yolks for every whole egg, using up to 6 egg yolks and 1 full egg)

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4-6 lemons)

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• Pinch of salt

The Recipe

1.  Fill a large bowl with ice and water and place a medium sized bowl in it to chill. Place a fine mesh strainer over the bowl and set aside.

2.  Place the lemon zest and sugar into a medium saucepan and use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar to release the oils, so that the smell of lemon fills the air and the sugar is moistened. Whisk in the beaten eggs and lemon juice. Then add in the butter and salt and place over a medium-low flame. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture constantly for the next 5-10 minutes, until the butter melts and the mixture thickens, but don't let it boil. When the mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding, and coats the back of the spoon, remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately pour it through the strainer set over the bowl in the ice bath. Push the mixture through and scrape the underside of the strainer well and add it to the bowl, so as not to lose as much curd as possible.

3.  Let the curd cool for about 30 minutes before transferring it to an airtight container or mason jar. Place in the refrigerator until fully cool--the curd will continue to thicken as it chills. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Wintersweet by Tammy Donroe Inman.