Lemon Curd

I meant to post this weeks ago and totally didn't get round to it, but no matter, here it is: a bit of lemony sunshine!  Shop-bought lemon curd doesn't even compare to this utterly heavenly concoction, and since it's so easy to make, you need never buy it again!  Just beware, it is dangerously delicious...

3 large or 4 small lemons

8oz/225g butter

1lb/450g caster sugar

5 eggs

Peel the lemons using a vegetable peeler (try and get as little of the white pith as possible) and place in a double pan (- place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, make sure the water doesn't touch the bowl and keep checking to ensure it doesn't boil dry).

Add the butter, cut into pieces, sugar and juice of the lemons, don't worry about the pips going in!

Stir gently until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Beat the eggs one by one and pass them through a sieve into a separate large bowl.  Keep stirring them as you slowly drizzle in the lemon mixture (also through the sieve and make sure you squeeze all the juice from the bits in the sieve), then pour the whole lot back into the heatproof bowl and return it to the pan.

Heat the mixture, stirring regularly, until it thickens.  You can tell it's ready when it goes opaque over the back of the spoon (see below for before-it's-ready and after-it's-ready pictures!).

Pour into hot sterilised jars if you're keeping it, or just cover and leave to cool if using within a couple of days.

I used mine to make a lemon curd and poppy seed swiss roll.

It is also delicious in shortcrust pastry tart cases (don't overfill them or they overflow when you bake them).

It will keep for up to three weeks in the fridge, if it lasts that long!

It is delicious sandwiched with cream in a Victoria sponge, stirred into yogurt, served with meringues and cream, made into ice-cream or spread thickly on hot buttered toast (which can lead to the steady consumption of entire loaves of bread and alarming quantities of butter, but what better way to spend a Sunday morning?!) yummm....