I Lovers of clever recipes like yogurt have the power to transform a tired or forgotten fruit into something utterly decadent. Lemon curd is the original and a classic, but you can make curd with any fruit as long as you add a little lemon juice for acidity. Each version is intense, happy and dreamy. So, please approach with caution: this spread is pretty deep, at best.
Any fruit yogurt
While testing this recipe, I accidentally had frozen mango, sad golden kiwi and some shriveled raisins on the counter, so I split the recipe and made three small batches of different yogurts. Banana curd is a treat.
Fruit curds are set smoothly by the magic combination of protein, fat and acid, which lowers the freezing temperature of the egg whites and helps everything thicken smoothly without scrambling. Fruits like citrus, lime, pineapple and rhubarb are naturally acidic, so they set easily on their own. Less tart fruits like pears, apples, mangoes and peaches need a little help in the form of lemon juice to achieve the same glossy texture.
Yogurt recipes vary in whether they call for whole eggs, yolks, or a combination of the two. All methods work well. I recommend using whole eggs, unless you’re using whites or leftover yolks.
does 450 ml
Product 10 min
Cook 10 min
150 grams of prepared fruit (eg limes, pineapples, grapefruits, rhubarb, oranges, lemons, berries, pears, apples, mangoes, peaches, etc.)
Juice of ¼ lemon (and an organic unwaxed lemon to taste if using)
100 grams of raw honeymaple syrup or granulated sugar
3 Medium eggs or 6 egg yolks (if left over from another recipe)
1 teaspoon of cornflour (Optional, if making pie filling)
75 grams of butter (I use salt, but unsalted is better), cubed
Place the fruit cubes in a small pan with 80ml of water – more for firm fruit (say, pineapple, rhubarb, pear) and less for watery fruit such as oranges, passion fruit or berries. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil and cook gently for about five minutes until tender. Keep aside to cool.
Blend the cooked fruit to a smooth puree, then return it to a clean bowl. Stir in lemon juice and zest (if using).
In a large bowl, whisk the honey (or maple syrup or sugar) with the eggs and cornflour (if using). Whisk this into the fruit, then place the pan over low to medium heat and cook gently, stirring constantly with a spatula, for five to 10 minutes, or until the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, or until it reaches 75C (167F) on a thermometer.
Remove from heat and stir in butter until glossy and smooth. Pass through a sieve and transfer to a sterilized jar. Cool, then refrigerate for up to two weeks.
