Key Lime Curd
Oh la la, you thought I was fancy with the peach pastry cream recipe I posted a few weeks ago? Wait until you try my recipe for key lime curd. It is silky, smooth, creamy, and bursting with bright key lime flavor. I use fresh key lime juice and zest to get the most out of this delicious tiny fruit.
What are key limes and how are they different from regular limes? Key limes are much smaller than limes, are more tart, and have more flavor. The zest is also more fragrant and imparts floral citrusy notes to this recipe. If you could condense a lime down to a third of its size with 3 times as much flavor and juice that can make you seriously pucker, that’s a key lime.
Can I use regular limes?
There is something to be said about fresh lime zest and juice, it just has more flavor. I understand not everyone has the time to be stuck zesting and juicing limes, so I wanted to share that you can take some shortcuts with this recipe. You can absolutely use regular limes and achieve wonderful results. But, if you can find key limes, opt for the latter. It is worth the extra effort in zesting and juicing them. Bottled key lime juice works well too.
Why I love this recipe
-Simple ingredients-most of these ingredients I have on hand in my kitchen apart from the key limes.
-Big flavor-key limes are wonderfully tart and floral. When zesting these and mixing into the sugar, get ready for your kitchen to smell amazing.
-Quick to make-one pan is all you need.
-Freezes beautifully-you can freeze lime curd for up to a year in your freezer and it thaws out beautifully when you are ready to use.
How to Use Key Lime Curd
-Cookies. Of course! I will be using this recipe to stuff my most popular flavor: key lime pie cookie. This recipe is also great for key lime macarons or even a lime shortbread sandwich cookie.
-Cakes and Cupcakes. I love a key lime cupcake, with lime buttercream? Yes. Please.
-Mousse-you can whip heavy cream to stiff peaks then add key lime curd and place in glasses to chill overnight for a fluffy and tangy dessert. Serve with graham cracker crumble or fresh fruit on top.
-Tarts-use key lime curd in baked and cooled tart pastry shells with merengue on top.
-Cheesecake-key lime curd will elevate any cheesecake to the next level. Smooth a layer of lime curd over the top of a cooled cheesecake and garnish with lime zest.
-By the spoonful-once you taste this key lime curd you are going to want to put it on everything. Nothing beats a cold spoonful straight out of the fridge.
What You Need
Key limes- I bought a one-pound bag of Mexican key limes and used the majority of them for this recipe.
Eggs-you will need 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks. This is what emulsifies and makes your curd creamy.
Butter-this will help smooth out the curd at the end of the recipe and give the key lime curd a smooth silky texture
Sugar- I use regular white granulated sugar.
Salt-I use a tiny pinch not for a salty flavor, you can’t taste the salt at all. I feel every sweet treat needs a little salt to balance the sweetness. It also helps the bitterness of the lime zest that I will be cooking into the curd.
Let’s Make Key Lime Curd
I start off by prepping my key limes. Zesting them first before I cut them in half to juice them. I am processing the whole bag since I will need lime zest and juice for a key lime cookie recipe later this week. If you are only making this recipe, zesting around 5-6 limes and juicing half a pound of limes should get you the right amount.
I get the sugar ready in a bowl and zest the limes right over the sugar then rub the lime zest in with my fingertips making sure the zest and sugar are mixed well. You will notice the oils release while mixing giving the sugar a sort of wet sand texture. The aroma the key lime zest gives when you mix it with the sugar is extraordinary. It smells so fresh and bright just like summer to me, and I wish my home could smell like this all the time.
Slice the key limes in half and juice them over a strainer that is sitting on top of a glass measuring cup. Key limes have more seeds than regular limes so you will want a strainer in place to catch all the runaway seeds. Placing the strainer over the measuring cup makes life easier-no guess work on how much juice you have squeezed out and you stop whenever it hits the half cup mark.
In a saucepan combine the eggs, egg yolks, pinch of salt, lime zest, and lime juice. Whisk well, you want it to come together with out any clumps of egg or sugar.
*Special Note* I will let y’all in on a little secret. I used to make this key lime curd using the double broiler method until one day I was in a rush and decided to see if it would work in a saucepan over direct heat. Guess what? It did! I have never gone back since and make all my fruit curd in a saucepan. The most important step to follow in this recipe is to never stop stirring when your mixture is on the stove. If you find it coming up in temperature too fast and starting to curdle, take off the heat immediately and stir vigorously, this usually saves it but you have to be attentive to the curd and catch it in time. Also, you can still make this recipe in a double broiler over simmering water, it might take longer for the curd to thicken, around 10 minutes. All of the measurements and ingredients stay the same.
On medium heat, warm the mixture up. You will need to be stirring this constantly so you don’t cook the eggs. I switch over to a silicone spatula to stir because I feel like it helps move the mixture on the bottom of the pan better than the whisk.
It usually takes me around 3-5 minutes of stirring before it starts to thicken. I continue to stir making sure it is not sticking to the bottom. Once it starts to thicken slightly you can turn the burner down to medium low to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
I look for a thick pudding like consistency before I pull it off the heat. The key lime curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
Once it resembles a thick pudding I pull it off the heat and stir in the chopped butter. The butter will melt and give the curd a smooth and silky shine. This step really ties the recipe together, don’t skip it.
After the butter is melted and mixed through, I strain the curd into a bowl with a metal strainer. Using the back of the spatula I press the curd through while still hot. This does two things: takes out the cooked lime zest. It can get bitter if we leave it in the curd. And second it smooths out any pieces of cooked egg or lumps we may have gotten as it was thickening up on the stove.
If you would like to add fresh lime zest back, now is the time to do it. I usually sprinkle a little on top to stir through when it is cooling.
You can let cool in the bowl or scoop it into jars for storing in the fridge. I have never canned or sealed my lime curd before since I either use it for a recipe or freeze it. If you would like to freeze it, place in a sealed jar or container, label and freeze for up to a year.
Key lime curd is a great addition to a lot of desserts. My favorite is my mouth-watering recipe for Key Lime Pie Cookies. If you are a fan of key lime pie, you definitely need to make this recipe.
If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do, please tag, follow, and like @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram and Facebook. New posts every Tuesday and Thursday so be sure to follow me for more delicious cookie recipes. Happy Baking!
Key Lime Curd
Ingredients
- ½ cup Key Lime juice just under a pound of fresh key limes juiced.
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 tbsp butter cut into small cubes
- 1 tbsp key lime zest from around 6-8 key limes
- pinch salt
Instructions
- If using fresh key limes, zest at least 6-8 limes over a cup of sugar in a bowl.
- Rub key lime zest into sugar to release the fruit oils. It will smell heavenly.
- With a small strainer over a measuring cup, juice key limes until you reach a half cup of fresh lime juice.
- In a small saucepan whisk lime zest sugar, key lime juice, eggs, egg yolks and small pinch of salt until thoroughly mixed.
- Over medium heat begin to cook the mixture. You will need to stir continuously with a spatula during this process as to not let the eggs scramble.
- When the mixture starts to get warm, turn the heat down to medium low. Continue stirring constantly.
- It will begin to thicken between 5-10 minutes. Continue to stir until it resembles a pudding consistency. You want the curd to evenly coat the back of spoon without being runny.
- Take off the heat and stir in the butter.
- Using a metal strainer over a clean glass bowl, pour the hot curd into the strainer. Using the back of the spatula, press through the strainer to remove all of the cooked lime zest.
- You can cool the curd in the bowl or spoon curd into clean canning jars for storage.
- Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to a year.
