Orange Curd—Sunshine in a Bowl!

My whole family adores citrus, not just in sweet treats, but in many savory dishes as well.  I’ve made citrusy vinaigrette such as this one here and it’s been my family’s go-to salad dressing ever since.  With all the citrus fruit I get from my In-Law’s garden, it’s hard not to love these fruits.  If you haven’t done so, check out this Meyer Lemon Curd with Vanilla Sugar Recipe, it’s good on almost everything, such as toasts, scones, tarts, or even by the spoonful, ahem….don’t ask me how I know that.



So, with the super sweet oranges that I got recently, I’ve made some orange curd.  I put quite a bit of zest in this curd because I love the aroma from the zest.  The zest contains the essential oil and carries lots of flavor, even more so than the juice itself, in my opinion.  So, I didn’t strain this curd after it’s done cooking because I want as much zest in my curd as possible.  If you prefer a smoother curd with no zest, by all means pass the cooked curd through a strainer, the choice is yours. 



This Orange Curd taste like sunshine in a bowl to me.  It’s tart, its’ sweet, and it’s refreshing, yet it’s also very rich and creamy without any cream in it.  It puts a smile on my face every time I taste it.  I’m sure it’ll do the same to you if you give this recipe a try.  If the weather in your area is less than perfect, this Orange Curd  will brightens up your day.  Happiness could be really simple, as simple as a tablespoon of orange curd on a slice of homemade bread.  I believe happiness depends on our attitude in regards to how we perceive things around us. 



Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoy today’s recipe.  So, please share with me, what kind of recipes make you feel happy?  I would love to hear from you and give your recipe a try too.   Meanwhile, be happy and keep smiling.  You never know who would fall in love with your smile. 






Orange Curd: (Printable Recipe)
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
8 egg yolks
a pinch of kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and egg yolks until well combined. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture is thick, about 8 to 10 minutes, or until mixture coats the back of the spoon.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container, refrigerate until orange curd is chilled and firm, at least 2 hours. Keep refrigerated and enjoy the curd within the next 10 days.