No Whey!

About author / Rebecca Michaels

Queen of the desserts and pastry chef extraordinaire; graduate French Culinary Institute; Golden Scoop Award winner; Flying Monkey Bakery founder

Call me lazy, call me super-efficient, but I'm always looking for short cuts and easy ways to entertain and still maintain my high standards for culinary perfection. Fruit curds are a simple way to add a sophisticated flare to summer fare--without a lot of work. Right up my alley!

Simple curd recipes usually call for fruit juice or puree, eggs, butter, and sugar.  These four simple ingredients are transformed into a smooth, creamy, delicious treat that is very versatile.  Just think of it as a fruit custard or cooked pudding.

The most popular curd is lemon, but there are many other fruits you can use. Generally, I find that the best curds are made with tangier fruits, such as raspberry, passion fruit, and orange.

Don't be intimidated by the idea of making curd. It couldn't be easier. The best piece of advice I can give you, though, is don't walk away when you're cooking it. Just follow the recipe as given.  If you decide to change the fruit, you may have to adjust the amount of sugar in your recipe. I also recommend adding a teeny pinch of salt to any curd recipe; it tends to be very sweet, and the salt gives the flavor a little bit more complexity.

If you decide to go beyond the standard lemon or orange recipe that uses juice and rind, try your hand at making a fruit puree.  Raspberries need to be crushed and put through a fine sieve to strain out those little crunchy seeds. The same is true for passion fruit, if you're lucky enough to find the whole fruit.

I've used canned tropical fruits with some success as well, but you'll always get the fullest flavor with fresh or flash-frozen fruit. Simply cut up the fruit and crush it manually or with a hand blender.  Your goal is to get a smooth puree that will not interfere with the creaminess of the curd. If you find the fruit is a little underripe or too firm, cook it in a saucepan for a few minutes with a little sugar until it's soft enough to blend or 'buzz,' as they say in the industry.

There are myriad things you can do with curd.  Simply spooning it into small bowls, top with some fresh berries and a small biscotti is a lovely ending to a summer dinner.  Make finger sandwiches using slices of poundcake slathered with a shmear of curd. Punch out a little hole in your cupcakes using a star tip and add a teaspoon of curd to the middle for a fresh fruity surprise.

If you want to get a little fancier and make a whole cake or a tart with curd, it is a good idea to add a little gelatin at the end of the cook time. This way the curd will hold up to cutting better and remain firm (Note: pineapple has an enzyme that breaks down gelatin, so you won't get a firm curd).  When layering your cake with curd, be sure to pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of each layer so the curd doesn't spill out when you frost it.  Let each layer chill in the fridge before topping with another layer.  And of course, when making a tart, cook your tart shell entirely before filling. Make it a nice healthy golden brown; don't undercook it. A tart shell should never be the color of a sugar cookie!

As always, have fun!