Blood Orange Curd
Silky, tangy, and sweet enough to make you dip for one spoonful more, this blood orange curd is a great recipe to highlight the unique flavors of this underrated citrus fruit.
Blood oranges are so interesting to me, the flavor is a combination of raspberry, orange, and grapefruit combined into one very vibrant fruit. The skin has a slight blush to it and the inside is a vibrant, deep, bloody magenta color which stains everything in sight. My inner metal head just has to say it, these oranges are metal AF. (sorry for the profanity mom! I am expressing myself.) After juicing and zesting half a dozen oranges, my kitchen cabinets, counter tops, cutting boards, and dish towels has splatters of crimson red. It was really quite a sight.
I used a different approach to making this blood orange curd using a recipe from A Cookie Named Desire for inspiration. I have used her method of reducing the blood orange juice prior to mixing in with the sugar and egg yolks. By reducing the juice, I feel it concentrates the flavor and produces a much more flavorful curd as an end result. I love a thick and creamy curd since it pairs well with stuffing or layering in cookies.
We will be using this blood orange curd to stuff pistachio and blood orange thumbprint cookies, recipe will be posted for #cookiethursday! Blood Orange Thumbprint Cookie recipe has been posted, please click the link to make this amazing cookie recipe!
Need more citrus recipes? Look no further! These are my favorites:
Why I Love This Recipe
Flavor-If you like a more intense citrus flavor, this blood orange curd is for you. The zest is added to the sugar and rubbed into the granules to release the pungent and bright oils from the rind. The blood orange juice is reduced which concentrates the flavor of the acidic and tangy juice. Blood oranges are sweet while also being delightfully tangy and tart which works well with cooking the juice and zest into a curd. The addition of butter creates a creamy and balanced flavor to the curd.
Texture-Thick, creamy, and rich. Blood orange curd is like a thick pastry cream with 10 times the flavor. The butter smooths the curd out at then end of the cooking and creates a silky texture on the tongue. It makes a great filling for cookies, cakes, and any dessert you want to add an intense pop of citrus flavor to.
Citrus Journey-I feel blood oranges don’t have the popularity and recognition they so desperately deserve. The flavor is truly unique and if you love citrus and baking, it is a wonderful fruit to put into so many different desserts. Here are some of my favorite ways to use this blood orange curd:
- Shortbread cookies-the buttery flavor of a shortbread cookie pairs well with this curd. Use the curd as a filling for shortbread sandwich cookies.
- Thumbprint cookies-I will be using this blood orange curd in pistachio thumbprint cookies. Talk about delectable.
- Cakes/Cupcakes-filling cakes and cupcakes has never been more flavorful. A nice almond or vanilla cake would pair well with this curd.
- Layered desserts-Need a quick dessert? Layer blood orange curd, crumbled cookies (my favorite cookies are crumbly/buttery varieties like crisp oatmeal, graham crackers, pecan sandies, or even Ritz cracker) and fresh whipped cream in glasses. Luxurious and simple.
- Cheesecake Topping-whether you have a great homemade cheesecake recipe you love or you want to spruce up a storebought pie, blood orange curd is marvelous paired with cheesecake. Just layer a thin layer on top for a pretty upgrade, garnish with fresh blood orange slices for added fun.
- Breakfast-this can be used as a topping on plain Greek yogurt with fruit or slathered on a slice of thick toasted sourdough bread. A great way to start the day.
Ingredients You Need
-Butter-room temperature but still firm. Cut into cubes.
-Granulated Sugar
-Egg Yolks-You will need 5 egg yolks. Save the egg whites for an omelet or use to make meringue cookies.
-Lemon- I used one small lemon, just for the juice.
-Blood Oranges- I ended up using 5 medium/small blood oranges for this recipe.
-Salt-for flavor.
Blood Orange Curd
Although I am currently in love with blood oranges and the amazing flavor they contain, you can also substitute orange, grapefruit, or lemon in this recipe to make a different flavor of citrus curd.
First, I start out with measuring out the granulated sugar in a container. I am including measurements in grams for this recipe so the recipe is consistent no matter what citrus juice and zest you use. I zest four blood oranges into the sugar and with my fingers rub the zest into the sugar. This will release the oils from the zest into the sugar and make the curd more fragrant and flavorful.
I cut the blood oranges in half and juice them into a container, measuring out the exact amount I need on a scale. This took 5 medium/small blood oranges to get the right amount of juice for this recipe.
Next, I pour the juice into a medium saucepan and turn the stove on to medium high heat. I bring the juice to a simmer and reduce it by half. This took me exactly 10 minutes, but I would start to check how much juice you have after 8 minutes just to be safe. You will end up with 2/3 cup left of reduced blood orange juice.
In a bowl, separate the egg yolks from the whites. I add the sugar and zest and whisk by hand for 2 minutes. Whisking the yolks will whip air into them and make them pale and creamy. Using a handheld citrus juicer, I juice the small lemon and add to the egg yolk mixture.
Slowly, and while continually whisking, I slowly drizzle the hot blood orange juice into the egg yolk and sugar mixture. Once the juice has all been added, I pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place on stove over medium heat.
I switch my whisk out for a silicone spatula, you can also use a wooden spoon. Continually stir while the curd cooks and begins to thicken. The curd will begin to thicken and will get thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This process took me close to 15 minutes.
When the curd has thickened enough, stir in half the butter. Mix until fully incorporated then add the rest of the butter and continue to mix. The curd will be silky and smooth. Turn off the stove and take off the heat.
Using a fine mesh strainer, I strain out the zest from the curd into a glass container, so it has a silkier texture and doesn’t get too bitter from the zest.
I allow the curd to cool to room temperature before covering and placing in the fridge to store. Blood orange curd will stay fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks. Enjoy!
If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do, please tag, follow, and like @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok. New posts every Thursday so be sure to follow me for more delicious cookie recipes. Happy Baking!
Blood Orange Curd
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup blood orange juice (300g) I used 5 medium sized blood oranges.
- 1 tbsp blood orange zest 4 blood oranges.
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 5 egg yolks large eggs.
- ¼ cup lemon juice (60g) 1 small lemon
- ¼ tspn salt
- 7 tbsp butter (99g) unsalted, room temperature cut into cubes.
Instructions
- First, zest oranges into the granulated sugar. Rub the orange zest into the suagr to release the oils of the zest. Set aside.
- Cut oranges and juice into a measuring cup. Bring the blood orange juice to a simmer over medium high heat in a medium sauce pan. Reduce the blood orange juice for 8-10 minutes. It will reduce to ⅔ cup of juice (around 170g of juice).
- In a bowl whisk the egg yolks with the zest and sugar mix until pale and creamy. This took me 2 minutes with a handheld whisk.
- Add lemon juice to the egg yolk sugar mixture and whisk to combine.
- Slowly drizzle in the hot reduced blood orange juice while constantly whisking.
- Add the mixture back to he pan and slowly bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Stir continuously with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to prevent the mixture from curdling.
- The mixture will begin to thicken, continue to stir until it is very thick. This will take 10-15 minutes.
- Add half of the butter and stir until mixed through. Repeat with remaining butter and mix until it is smooth and glossy.
- Strain the curd through fine mesh sieve into a glass container for storage. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge.
- The curd will stay fresh for two weeks in the fridge.
- Use as filling for sandwich or thumbprint cookies!
