Simple Orange Curd Recipe

Are you looking for a rich, flavorful, indulgent, but not too sweet treat? This simple orange curd recipe is exactly that. 

While “curd” may sound fancy, and difficult, it’s really very simple, using only five ingredients and a little patience. 

One of the facts of small farm/homestead life is that with spring come eggs lots and lots of eggs. 

So over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a number of recipes to help manage that eggs supply! In fact, we’ve already started with lat week’s spinach egg noodles, and before that, our delicious zucchini frittata. 

This particular simple orange curd recipe uses egg yolks specifically (save the whites for later, we have egg white recipes coming!), to make a rich, smooth, and thick curd. 

Of course, it’s not all yolks, it also contains a fair amount of butter, adding to the rich, smoothness, and – using salted butter – that slightly salty, buttery taste. 

In terms of the orange flavor, quality orange juice – preferably freshly squeezed – is a must. I tried cheap orange juice once, and though the label claimed “100% orange juice” – and it probably was  – still, it didn’t have that deep, orange flavor we love so much. Something about it was just not quite right.

And don’t forget that the orange zest is a must. I do use a few drops of orange essential oil if I don’t have fresh oranges on hand to zest, or am short on time, but nothing beats fresh orange zest. I do like to sieve my zest out at the end to make a smooth curd, but that’s optional, based on your preference.

The final ingredient is sugar. Not so much that the first thing you taste is sweetness. Just enough to bring the richness, and orange flavor to the front. 

If you’ve never had orange curd, you may wonder why you would make it. and what to do with it. 

I wondered the same thing myself when I first saw orange curd recipes on Pinterest. 

But the answer is – anything you want! 

We have used ours to fill meringue nests – which is great because it uses the egg whites you don’t need for making the curd. 

Orange curd also makes a great cupcake filling.

But my favorite way to use it is as a filling for crepes. 

I love, love, love that warm curd inside a crepe, topped with cool whipped cream. 

And, using coconut flour crepes, is yet another really awesome way to use more eggs! 

My kids voted this simple orange curd recipe as their number one favorite crepe filling as well as pancake and waffle topping too. My husband tends to eat it with a spoon. 

Read through the recipe below, and gather your ingredients!

Simple Orange Curd Recipe

• Author: Elise New

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed

Instructions

1. Combine egg yolks, sugar, juice, and zest in a saucepan.
2. Heat over low-medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened – this should take 8-10 minutes 
3. Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until completely incorporated.
4. At this point, you can run your curd through a sieve to remove zest if you wish
5. Let curd cool completely
6. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container, or use immediately as desired. 
7. Enjoy!

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