Lime & Basil Curd

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A fresh and fun take on a French classic that works great on cakes, tarts, macarons, or even just on it's on with a spoon! For this recipe I've given the classic curd a fresh and herby take, replacing the lemons with limes and adding in freshly chopped basil for an extra kick!

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Lime & Basil Curd

This versatile and creamy take on a classic citrus curd comes straight from my cookbook, French Pastry Made Simple! You can find all my favorite recipes for the perfect tart, macaron shell, and more ideas to pair it with there in my cookbook too!

Lime & Basil Curd

A tangy twist on a lemon curd that is equal parts light and fresh!

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Ingredients

Larger Quantity (enough for one 9.5" tart)

16 tbsp (2 sticks) (224 g) unsalted butter, cubed
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) fresh lime juice
Zest of 1-2 limes
1-2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil

Smaller Quantity (for filling macarons, in between cake layers, etc)

11 tbsp (150 g) unsalted butter, cubed
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1-2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil

Instructions

In a large bowl, place the cubed butter. Put a large strainer on top.

In a medium saucepan, add the sugar and eggs. Whisk together well and then whisk in the lime zest, lime juice, and roughly chopped basil.

Place the saucepan over medium, and then whisk constantly about 5 minutes, until it just starts to boil. The temperature should be between 170-180.

Pour the mixture, through the strainer, to melt the butter. Push through with a spatula (remember to scrape the bottom). The basil pieces will be strained but the flavor will remain. And then whisk together until the butter is completely melted/disappeared.

For extra flakes of color add 1-2 extra tablespoons of finely chopped basil after straining and stirring in the butter. You can also add food coloring in for an extra pop of green.

The curd will last up to 7 days in the refrigerator or freeze for 1-2 months.

Notes

There are two methods for storage:

#1 If using for a Tart, pour the cooked curd into the cooked and cooled crust, transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least one hour to set.

#2 Place plastic wrap on top touching the surface of the curd and chill at least 5 hours, or even better, overnight to set. This can then be spread into a cooked tart crust or piped.