Meyer Lemon Cardamom Curd

Ingredients:

2 tbsp meyer lemon zest (~3 small meyer lemons worth)

1/2cup white sugar

1/4 tsp ground cardamom (optional for added flavor complexity)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 egg yolks (optional: add an extra egg yolk if you want a thicker consistency. Yolks have a natural thickener called lecithin which is why they are great for sauces)

1 whole egg

2 tbsp raw honey (the honey and maple syrup are optional for added flavor complexity. If you don't have, then just add 2 more tbsp of sugar)

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 cup fresh squeezed meyer lemon juice

3 tbsp cold butter

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (optional, but if you don't have it, then add 1 more tsp of vanilla extract)

Steps:

1) Whisk sugar, salt, and cardamon in a bowl, then add in zest. Rub sugar mixture and zest together with your fingers to release the oils in the zest until a wet sand consistency emerges.

2) Whisk in eggs, honey, maple syrup, until well combined

3) Add mixture with lemon juice in a non-metallic bowl over a double boiler and whisk continuously until it thickens (170F). A double boiler is just a sauce pan with some water simmer on low with a bowl that fits snuggly on top. This is a way of cooking delicate things like eggs in sauces gently to avoid scrambling

4) Take it off heat. Whisk in 1 tbsp of butter a time until well incorporated before adding the next one. 

5) Whisk in vanilla extract and paste

6) Let cool for about 5 minutes then add plastic wrap on surface to prevent skin from forming and cool completely in the fridge (~4 hours)

7) Once cooled, use a fine mesh sieve to strain out zest and create a very smooth consistency

Notes:

• Tasted best after 12+ hours of refrigeration. Like just about any sauce, it benefit from some time to let the flavors settle and natural chemical reactions occur. 
• I would like a thicker curd next time, so I'll add in an extra egg yolk. This would make it a better consistency for tarts, fillings in brioche doughnuts, etc. 
• Flavor was the right balance of tart and sweet for me, as I really wanted the meyer lemon flavor to be the start with the other flavors being more of the supportive cast to make it more interesting for my taste bud