Makes about 2¼ cups
Put away the double boiler! Stop stirring, too! Lemon curd is within reach at 9:30 on a Tuesday night. (Or at 7:00 in the morning for breakfast.) And nothing beats fresh lemon curd. The commercial brands are too sweet, not sour enough, not lemony enough. Make your own. You can in 5 minutes.
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
⅔ cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
Finely grated zest of 2 medium lemons
⅔ cup fresh lemon juice
1. In a 950-watt microwave oven, begin to melt the butter in a medium, microwave-safe bowl on high in 10-second increments until about two-thirds liquid, about 30 seconds in all. Remove from the microwave and whisk until smooth.
2. Whisk the sugar into the butter until creamy, then whisk in the eggs and lemon zest and juice. Cook in the microwave on high in 30-second bursts, whisking well after each, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Be careful as it thickens; the curd can overflow. Stop the microwave as soon as the mixture begins to boil and whisk until it cools enough to continue.
3. Refrigerate until thickened, about 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.