Lemon cheese
A creamy and zingy preserve, this lemon cheese is really versatile. It helps to mellow the pungency of washed-rind cheeses and works beautifully well in classic desserts like pavlova, lemon tart or cheesecake.
Ingredients
- 3 good quality lemons, zest and juice
- 100 g caster sugar
- 75 g butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp salt (optional)
Instructions
- Juice and zest the lemons and add to a heatproof bowl with the sugar and butter. Nestle the bowl in a small saucepan of simmering water over a medium heat. It is important to make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl as this could result in a split mixture. Stir the mixture with a whisk until the butter is melted and everything is combined.
- Beat the eggs and gradually add them to the mixture in the bowl, whisking constantly to make sure the mixture doesn’t scramble. Stir for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of custard. You really have to trust the processes at this stage. I was staring at this thin liquid in the bowl for what felt like an eternity, worried that it would never thicken. But gradually it starts to get to the consistency you want.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and keep whisking for about another minute. Add the salt, if using, and allow to cool slightly. Pour the mixture into sterilised jars. It will keep in the fridge for about two weeks.
Notes
If you want a smoother texture, you can leave the lemon zest out of the recipe or strain the lemon cheese through a sieve before you put it into jars.
If your lemon cheese does split, you can put a teaspoon of lemon juice or water into a clean bowl. Add a teaspoon of your split mixture to the new bowl and whisk until it emulsifies. Slowly add the rest of the split sauce, stirring constantly.
Another way to avoid the mixture splitting is to add a few tablespoons of the hot mixture to the beaten eggs and whisk to combine before slowly adding the eggs to the mixture in the bowl.