Spring is finally here, and I'm so excited to start baking with my favorite spring flavors once again, especially lemon and lavender. I love the combination of bright citrus and delicate floral flavors.
The recipe I'm sharing today couldn't be easier (dare I say it's foolproof), and it's the perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket and pull out for all the upcoming special occasions, like Easter, Mother's Day, baby showers, bridal showers, etc.
Lavender lemon curd is a twist on the classic lemon curd recipe, and it tastes like sunshine in a jar. Here's what makes this recipe different:
1) It doesn't use eggs or butter. I thickened the curd with cornstarch instead. This is great because you don't have to waste precious eggs, and it's vegan! Also, you don't have to worry about the eggs curdling if you overcook it. That also means you don't have to strain it!
2) I infused the curd with flavor by tying lavender buds in cheesecloth and stirring it in the saucepan while cooking the curd. There are two types of dried lavender buds you can buy: English and French. English lavender is for eating; French is for fragrance. So make sure you use English lavender. Oftentimes, the lavender will say "culinary lavender."
A few more notes about this recipe...
After you remove the curd from the stove, it may seem too runny, but it will thicken as it cools.
I like to add turmeric to lemon curd to brighten the yellow. A little goes a long way. You won't taste it, but it isn't necessary.
You can make and store the tart shells up to two days in advance, but it is best to fill them the day you plan to eat them.
There will be plenty of leftover curd which you can use on scones, as filling in cakes, as a pancake topping, etc.
Lavender lemon curd flower tarts
Yield: Makes about 28 tarts, plus leftover lemon curd
Time: About 1 hour
Ingredients
Necessary equipment
- Mini muffin tin
- Flower cookie cutter (about 4" to 4.5" in diameter)
- Cheese cloth
- Twine
For the tarts
- 3 pre-made ready to roll pie crusts
For the lavender lemon curd
- 5 large lemons
- 3 Tablespoons dried lavender buds
- 1 1/2 cup milk, cow or dairy-free
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric (optional, for color)
Directions
For the tarts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Unroll pie crust and use flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many flowers as possible. Combine scraps, roll out dough, and cut out more flowers. Repeat process until you run out of dough.
- Place dough flowers in every other cavity of mini muffin tin, gently pressing down in the center so they touch the bottom.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool while you make lavender lemon curd.
For the lavender lemon curd
- Use a microplane to zest lemons.
- Juice lemons until you have 1 cup juice.
- Place lavender buds in center of cheesecloth. Fold and tie cheesecloth with twine.
- Combine zest, juice, milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and optional turmeric in small saucepan and place lemon peel-lavender sachet in pan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture comes to simmer and starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Check temperature. Continue to cook until mixture reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Alternatively, check doneness by dipping spoon in curd. If you can draw line on back of spoon and it holds, it's done.
- Remove sachet from saucepan and pour lemon curd into heat-safe container. Refrigerate to cool.
- When ready to serve, spoon curd into mini flower tarts and dust with powdered sugar.
- Store leftover curd in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Use leftover curd on scones, as cake filling, etc.