Lemon Curd

I love lemon.  It's tart yet refreshing and it reminds me of warm spring and summer days...  It may be the fact that they go so well into a homemade margaritas!  I picked up a large bag of lemons the other day at the grocery store.  It was a total impulse buy and I wanted to find ways to use them up before they spoiled.  I happened to check out one of my favorite food blogs and found a recipe for lime curd.  It was a quick and simple recipe and I made a batch right away (of course using lemons in place of limes).

The flavor of this curd is right on.  It reminds me of the lemon filling my mom used to make for her cakes.  I've made this twice and the second time, I added some zest to amp up the flavor.  I just love the flavor of lemon and this recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and tart.  The curd is very versatile - I bet it would be great put into small tart cups and topped with fruit and whipped cream.  I find it is perfect just scooped from the jar and directly into my mouth!  :)  Check back later to see how I end up using the curd.

Lemon Curd
Yield: 1 1/4 cups
Adapted from Annie's Eats

3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
Zest from one lemon
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2-2 lemons)*
4 T unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the eggs and sugar.  Whisk together until well blended.  Whisk in the key lime juice.  Place the pan over medium-low heat.  Cook, stirring or whisking constantly, until the mixture is warmed through.  Be careful not to heat the mixture too quickly to avoid curdling the eggs.  Whisk in the butter a little bit at a time, stirring in each addition until completely incorporated before adding more.  Continue to cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture thickens and a spoon or spatula leaves a path when drawn through it (no higher than 175˚ F on an instant-read thermometer.)  Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.  Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.  (This keeps up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.)


*This can be made with lemons, limes, oranges...  Any citrus!

Waffles!

If you've been reading my blog, you'd know that pancakes are my number one favorite breakfast food.  Waffles are a very close second.  I love how they can be so versatile - I use them in place of toast for an egg sandwich, they can be made as a dessert (chocolate!) and can even be made savory (cornmeal chive!).  I just love waffles!

I decided to make waffles last week for a change from the usual pancakes.  I went to my go to site since I know I'd seen a few waffle recipes in the past.  I opted for a simple buttermilk recipe but I know there are a few recipes on that blog that I will be trying soon. The waffles came together pretty quickly (other than the 30 minutes wait time after making the batter).  One of these days I will purchase a better waffle iron, but until then, my $10 Target iron will have to suffice!

The outside of these waffles were crisp while the insides remained tender and airy.  I served these up with fresh strawberries and maple syrup.  I remember when my mom used to make Belgian waffles, she would combine the butter and syrup and warm it on the stovetop.  This way, you could ensure you had butter and syrup in every little nook and cranny of the waffle!  My mouth is watering just thinking about these.  I may have to go whip up a batch now.

 I also found that these froze very well.  I easily reheated them by popping them in the toaster so this is a good recipe to multiply to ensure you have leftovers.

Waffles
Adapted from Annie's Eats


¾ cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. sugar
½ cup whole milk (I used skim milk)
½ cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¾ tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Whisk together to blend.  In another mixing bowl, beat together the whole milk, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain.  Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron.  Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s 
instructions.  Cook until crisp and golden.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!