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Orange Vanilla Curd

Source of Recipe

From "Food in Jars" by Marisa McClellan


Recipe Introduction

"Okay Creamsicle lovers, this one is most decidedly for you. It recalls the frozen treats of our collective youth and transforms them into something best spread on homemade biscuits or a toasted English muffin. Because this recipe has a touch more liquid in it than the previous curd recipes, it will take just a bit longer to thicken. Stick with it and keep stirring: You'll be well rewarded."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ¼ cups sugar
â—¦ ¼ cup orange zest (from about 3 oranges)
â—¦ 1 vanilla bean, split, scraped, and cut into ½-inch pieces
â—¦ 4 large egg yolks
â—¦ 2 large eggs
â—¦ ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 3 oranges)
â—¦ 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
â—¦ 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes


Recipe

Prepare a boiling water bath and two half-pint jars. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the orange zest and vanilla bean and seeds. Rub the zest and vanilla into the sugar until it is fragrant and fully combined. Set aside.

Set up a double boiler, add 2 inches of water to the bottom pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Alternatively, set a heatproof mixing bowl over a medium saucepan filled with 2 inches of water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the surface of the water. Keeping the top half of the double boiler off the stove, add the egg yolks and whole eggs to it and whisk in. Finally, add the orange and lemon juices and stir until blended.

Put the double boiler back together and drop in the cubes of butter. Switch to a silicone spatula and stir continually as the orange curd cooks. Using a candy thermometer, monitor the temperature of the curd while you stir. As it approaches 190° to 200° F, it should start to thicken. One sign of doneness is that it will coat the back of the spatula without running or dripping. If it is slow to thicken but is approaching 210° F, remove the top portion of the double boiler and let it cool for a moment before returning to the heat for an additional minute or two of cooking. It typically takes 10 to 12 minutes for this curd to cook through. When the curd has thickened to the consistency of sour cream, it is done.

Remove the top half of the double boiler and stir off the heat. During this time, it will continue to thicken a bit. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup measure. The straining removes both the zest (which will have imparted a great deal of flavor to the curd during cooking time) and any bits of scrambled egg. Pour the curd into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims and apply the lids and rings. Because this curd is lower in acid than the others, you must keep this one stored in the refrigerator or freezer instead of putting it through a boiling water bath process. It will keep for up to a year in the freezer.

Makes 2 half-pint jars