Help!! Emergency!! What Do I Use
Decorating By cake-angel Updated 25 May 2007 , 3:12am by cake-angel
to thicken lemon curd???? I tried bringing to a boil and adding cornstarch. BIG mistake -- it turned all grainy and some of the butter fat seperated out. I want to know what I should do if I make new batches. This is for a wedding cake I am in the middle of making. The recipe is 1 cup Honey, 1 cup butter, 4 eggs, juice of three lemons and peel of one lemon. Cook over double boiler until mixture reaches 180 F. This recipe does thicken when cooled but not quite as thick as I would like it for a cake filling.
Can I use Gelatin as a thickener?
- If so - how do I add it? and will the gelatin break down while sitting in the cake on display and cause the curd to loose thickness?
Can I use cornstarch if I add it in the begginning and it cooks with the mixture even if it doesn't boil?
Any other ways to thicken it?
I really need help with this!!
TIA
Cindy
Sorry I can't help. I have never made lemon curd. I do know that you can buy it already made. I have seen it in the grocery store with the jams and jellys. I know it wouldn't be the same, but it would work in pinch. Good luck!
How did you add the corstarch? Was it hot when you did it? I would think the corstarch would work fine if you made a slurry out of it with some lemon juice and added it when it was lukewarm to cold and then reheated it. If you add it when it's hot it will thicken on contact and sieze up..
This is the recipe I use.. it's very good and tangy and it get's thick enough for my liking..
3 to 4 lemons (2 tbsp zest and 1/2 cup juice)
6 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cold butter, diced
1/4 cup limoncello liqueur
Finely grate enough lemon zest to equal 2 teaspoons. Squeeze enough juice to equal 1/2 cup. Strain juice through a fine, wire-meshed strainer. Set aside.
Fill a medium saucepan with enough water to come 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. In a heat-resistant bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Add the reserved zest and juice and whisk to combine.
Set the bowl with the egg mixture over the simmering water and whisk constantly until mixture thickens, 10 to 12 minutes. The mixture will turn a light yellow color and coat the back of a spoon. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk the diced butter into the curd, 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each piece to incorporate before adding the next. Stir in the limoncello. Strain the curd through a wire-meshed strainer and place in a clean, non-reactive container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming. Chill completely.
I know that when you make a pie you need both corn starch and flour to thicken it up! And I think you need to do it before you cook your stuff! You should try it that way! or you could try tapioca or tapioca flour. You would find tapioca flour in the health section of you store or health foods store.
Good luck! I hope you fix your recipe!
We thicken ours at work with gelatin...you soak the gelatin in water a bit and then stir it into the hot curd. Then strain the curd to make sure no lumps remain. Then refrigerate.
Kitagrl, me too. However, after I put the gelatin in the water and let it sit for 5 minutes I then microwave it in 10 second intervals until the gelatin is dissolved. Then I add it in to the hot curd and there are no lumps. If I even think I see a lump in my curd I used my stick blender to get rid of it.
Does the curd have to be hot to add the gelatin??
I use a very simple recipe that thickens nicely the longer you cook it... so you can adjust the thickness to whatever you want.
6 eggs
2 cups sugar
4 tbls butter (I use real, not margarine... it makes a difference in the taste!)
1/2 cup of lemon juice
Mix the eggs, then add the sugar. Pour into the double-boiler when it's warm enough, and stir in the butter. Melt that, then pour in the lemon juice. DON"T STOP STIRRING! LOL it gets lumpy if you stop, and it sticks into a horrific mess to the bottom and sides of the double-boiler. (ask me how I know...)
Cook in a double boiler at medium-high temp, 10-12 minutes, or until it jells on the spoon. You can also test by putting a small amount on a plate, and sticking it in the freezer for a few minutes.
Once refrigerated, it will set to a nice firmness. I use it for lemon tarts, so mine doesnt' have to be that thick, but when I did use it as cake filling, I simply cooked it a bit longer, and it came out very nice. 
Good luck, whatever you decide to do!
Sorry for the interruption.
Please, no "save" posts per Jackie and other members requests.
For clarification and other save options please read:
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HTH
Thank you everyone for the help!! I ended up using it as it was since I tested it on some scrap pieces of cake and the grittiness was not noticeable in the cake. I love the flavor of this recipe and so will make it again in the future. I will try adding the gelatin to the recipe next time though as I discovered that bringing it to a boil causes the fats to seperate from the mixture. It was a little thin but my dam seemed to hold it in and the wedding cake turned out pretty good for being my first one ever!! It is in my photos if you want to peek!!
Thanks for all the help and advice!!
Cindy
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