Strawberries are a delicious fruit with so many possible applications. From chocolate covered to baked in breads to eating them fresh or blending them into smoothies, strawberries are a very versatile fruit. With all the options of what to do with this popular summer fruit, one of my favorites is making curd.

While curds are most commonly made from citrus fruits like lemons and limes, I like to make curd out of just about any fruit. When making cakes and cupcakes, curds are one of my favorite fillings because they offer a great pop of flavor and act as a creamy, custard-like filling. Not only are curds a great, flavorful filling for cakes and cupcakes, but they are super easy to make, and you can also use them to fill mini pies and macarons.

Notes:

• Fruit Pectin: I have made this recipe without pectin, but the curd ends up being runny. The pectin thickens the curd, which is better when used to fill baked items because your curd will not seep out of the cake, cupcake, or whatever you make.
• Red Food Gel: Once the curd is cooked, it is a strange, light brown color (as pictured above). Adding some red food gel turns the curd to a darker pink/magenta color. I do not recommend skipping this step because it helps the curd match the color of the fruit it is made from, and it makes it more visually appetizing.

Strawberry Curd

Recipe by Carly PrestonCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated (caster) sugar

• 8 egg yolks

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pectin

• 1/2 cup strawberries puree

• Red Food Gel

Directions

• After washing and de-stemming the strawberries, add them to a food processor and puree them for approximately 30 seconds.
• In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, salt, and pectin. Briefly whisk these ingredients.
• Add the egg yolks to the saucepan and whisk together with the sugar, salt, and pectin until the mixture lightens in color to more of a pastel yellow.
• Add the pureed strawberries and whisk to combine. Add the unsalted butter, move the pan to the stove, and cook on medium high heat.
• Whisk constantly while the mixture cooks and thickens, approximately 5-7 minutes. Note: Do NOT let the mixture boil. You will know the mixture is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and does not run together when you draw a line down the middle of the spoon with either your finger or the whisk.
• Remove from heat, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, and add the red food coloring in small amounts until you reach your desired color, making sure to stir in between each addition. Allow the mixture to cool for approximately 20 minutes before sealing it in an airtight container and storing in the refrigerator.
• Let the mixture set for at least 4-6 hours before using because it will continue to thicken.

Thank you so much for checking out this recipe! Please leave a comment below regarding how you liked this recipe, if you tried it, and how you used the strawberry curd!