Small batch passionfruit curd

I'm a HUGE curd fan. I've made so many variations, and I love them all. But passionfruit curd really has my heart.

Curd has a bit of a reputation as one of those things that's overly fussy to make, and technically difficult. Like most things where you heat eggs to thicken a sauce, if you heat it too much you can end up with a curdled mess. But if you can master the temperature (always use a double boiler!!!) and learn to recognise the signs as the curd thickens, it's actually not difficult at all.

One of the great things about curd is how long it keeps. Given the ingredients, it probably shouldn't. But with the magical antibacterial properties of sugar, you can store your curd in a jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, safe in the knowledge that nothing will start to grow and ruin all your hard work.

I don't tend to eat a whole lot of it, it's really just a special treat. So when I make it, I only make a small amount, because that way I know I'll use it all up and none will go to waste. This recipe perfectly makes one nice full 350ml jar.

The best way to eat it? In my opinion, it's on a toasted bagel generously smothered in cream cheese. Curd and cream cheese just go SO well together! But obviously toast, crumpets and English muffins are all great curd vehicles too. Or have it for dessert with a scoop of ice cream.

Try this

Ingredients:

100gm caster sugar

1 whole egg, and 1 egg yolk

1 tbsp lemon juice

A pinch of salt

85gm cold butter, cut into small cubes

1/3 cup of passionfruit pulp (I like the frozen kind from Goodness Kitchen)

Method:

1. Set up a double boiler

Set up a double boiler over a medium heat. If you don't have one, just use a pot filled with some cold water and set that over a medium heat - you'll also need a heat-proof bowl to fit over the pot, but you don't want the bottom of the bowl to touch the water at all - so make sure to check it's well above.

2. Combine the ingredients and gently heat

Whisk the sugar, egg, yolk, lemon and salt in the heat-proof bowl until it's all fully incorporated. When the heating water comes to a boil, turn it down to a low simmer then place the bowl on top of the pot so that the steam from the water is gently heating the mixture. Add the butter and passionfruit pulp, grab a whisk and gently whisk as the mixture begins to heat and the butter melts.

3. Stir continuously as it thickens

Keep stirring regularly, and check that all the water in the pot hasn't evaporated - just top it up with water from a boiled kettle if it's getting low. Once the mixture has had 10-15 minutes of gentle heating you should start to notice the mixture thickening up. It will start to thicken first around the outside of the bowl, where it's hottest, and will leave a bit of a 'skin'. When you lift up your whisk you'll also see that the curd that drips off stays on the surface of the top for a few seconds before disappearing back into the mixture.

4. Cool and jar

Once your curd has thickened remove the bowl from the pot, and let it cool for 10 minutes before pouring it into a clean jar with a screw-on lid. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Keep it in the fridge, it stays fresh for 2-3 weeks.