The only thing better than a good recipe? When something’s so easy that you don’t even need one. Welcome to It’s That Simple, a column where we talk you through the dishes and drinks we can make with our eyes closed.
If you’re a fan of all things citrusy, bright, and tangy, you’re likely well acquainted with the wonder that is lemon curd.
For those who have yet to make an acquaintance, curd is a spread, filling, or topping that can be sandwiched between cake layers, poured into buttery tart crusts, swirled atop flaky scones, and spread lustrous on toast.
It’s usually made with citrus juice, egg yolks, sugar, and butter, and whisked vigorously on the stove until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. As the curd cools, it sets into lip-puckering spread like a glossy, zippy custard.
Now, take the best of lemon curd, and add in ripe, juicy raspberries.
For our June/July summer issue, associate food editor Kendra Vaculin developed a recipe for raspberry curd as a component of her Baked Alaska. The curd is a solve for using up the egg yolks left behind from the cloud-like meringue coating—so no egg parts are left unused! And best of all, the curd is incredibly simple. As Kendra describes, it “lives between frozen ice cream layers and becomes a spoonable, just-icy-enough texture like good sorbet.”
But beyond the centerpiece dessert on fire, raspberry checks all the same boxes as lemon curd: delicious smeared on toast, puddled into parfaits, and swooshed onto cakes. The recipe only banks on a handful of ingredients, and comes together in less time than it takes you to stream an episode of Survivor. Think of it as lemon curd’s gorgeous younger sister, absolutely bursting with personality.
Here’s how to make Kendra’s Raspberry Curd
Start by using either fresh or frozen raspberries depending on what’s available. But if you use frozen, just increase your cooking time accordingly to account for the extra moisture.
Bring 24 oz. raspberries (4 standard square clamshells), ⅔ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cook, occasionally mashing the berries and scraping down the sides of the pan, until slightly thickened, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a blender and purée the mixture. Let it cool slightly. Rinse out the saucepan.
In the same saucepan, whisk together raspberry purée, 4 large egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, ⅓ cup lemon juice, and 2 tsp. salt. Set the saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring and scraping the sides and bottom of the pan often, until slightly thickened and glossy (it shouldn’t bubble), about 5 minutes. Add 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter cut into pieces, one piece at a time, stirring after each addition until melted and combined before adding more. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve to catch seeds and any egg clumps and discard the solids. Let the curd cool.
If you’re not using immediately, refrigerate the curd in an airtight container. It can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be kept up to 1 month in the freezer.
