Heartwarming food on a rainy day

It's very stormy and rainy today - a proper April day!  Not ideal dog walking weather...

Bramley Lemon Curd...

I tried out a new recipe yesterday - Bramley Lemon Curd... since curd doesn't keep that long and this was a new recipe, I only made a small jar as a test but I think this could be a winner.  I might use it as a filling in a Swiss roll or in a pie...or just stirred into some plain yogurt.  It's just so nice that I have the time at the moment to try out new things, something that I didn't have when I was still working in London.  I know how lucky I am and feel very privileged!

I forgot to mention that whilst looking out of the window a couple of days I spotted a male bullfinch in the garden!  Now, we haven't seen finches here for ages, so it was really exciting!  I am sure there was a female there too, so fingers crossed they are nesting nearby and that they have a brood of chicks!

Right, the dog now wants his walk, so I better had put on my wellies and rain coat...

Bramley Lemon Curd (as published on www.rivercottage.net)

Servings: makes 5 x 225g jars

Ingredients:

•     450g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
•     Finely grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons (you need 100ml strained juice)
•     125g unsalted butter
•     450g granulated sugar
•     4–5 large eggs, well beaten (you need 200ml beaten egg)

Method:

1. Put the chopped apples into a pan with 100ml water and the lemon zest. Cook
2. gently until soft and fluffy, then either beat to a purée with a wooden spoon or rub
3. through a nylon sieve.
4. Put the butter, sugar, lemon juice and apple purée into a double boiler or heatproof
5. bowl over a pan of simmering water.
6. As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture is hot and glossy, pour in the eggs through a sieve, and whisk with a balloon whisk.
7. If the fruit purée is too hot when the beaten egg is added, the egg will ‘split’.
8. One way to guard against this is to check the temperature of the purée with a sugar
9. thermometer – it should be no higher than 55–60°C when the egg is added.
10. If your curd does split, take the pan off the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth.
11. Stir the mixture over a gentle heat, scraping down the sides of the bowl every few minutes, until thick and creamy.
12. This will take 9–10 minutes; the temperature should reach 82–84°C on a sugar thermometer.
13. Immediately pour into warm, sterilised jars and seal.
14. Use within 4 weeks. Once opened, keep in the fridge.

Variations:
To make gooseberry curd, replace the apples with gooseberries. If you’d like to go for
a traditional, pure lemon curd, simply leave out the apples, increase the lemon juice
to 200ml (4–5 lemons) and add the grated zest of 2–3 lemons.