Violet Lemon Curd
This lovely curd comes together fast. Bright and tart with the amethyst color that makes violets so special, it can be used anywhere you’d use lemon curd. I love it in sweet tartlets, but it would be divine as a cake filling or spread on a scone. Careful or you might end up eating it a spoonful at a time right out of the jar!
Servings
1 1/2cups
Cook Time Passive Time
15minutes 24 hours
Servings
1 1/2cups
Cook Time Passive Time
15minutes 24 hours
Ingredients
For the Violet Curd:
For the Violet Tea:
Instructions
For the Violet Tea:
  1. Pour boiling water into your jar of violets until it is full, making sure to gently press on the violets to release any air bubbles. Cover your jar and keep it out of bright sunlight for about 24 hours. The color of the violet tea will look sapphire blue, not purple.
  2. Line a colander with a paper towel or coffee filter and strain the violet tea, squeezing the solids to extract as much color as possible. If necessary, add enough water to your tea so that the mixture equals 3/4 cup.
For the Violet Curd:
  1. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon of citric acid to the violet tea, it should turn purple. Then add the milk, tea, and lemon zest to the pan and stir.
  3. On medium-low heat, whisk constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. If the curd doesn’t thicken after about 5 minutes, turn up the heat a bit. It will not thicken until it is bubbling and should coat the back of a spoon when ready. The color of the curd may fade as it heats.
  4. Remove from heat, then add the butter, stirring until melted. Next add the remaining teaspoon of citric acid until the desired color is reached. I used all of mine. Finally, stir in the rosewater.
  5. If using in tarts, fill shells right away. If not, this will store in the fridge, with plastic wrap pressed to the top to prevent a skin from forming for 1-2 weeks. The curd will thicken and set as it cools.
  6. If your curd is over thickened or sets up too firm, you can smooth it out with an immersion blender or just give it an enthusiastic stirring.