My 2-Ingredient Lemon Curd Is the Perfect No-Cook Dessert
Years ago when I was an intern at Martha Stewart, I was tasked with baking an Atlantic beach tart. In preparing the recipe — which is similar to Bill Smith's well-loved Atlantic beach pie with a saltine cracker crust, a lemon juice and condensed milk-based filling, and whipped cream on top — I remember being fascinated by how the condensed milk reacted when I added the lemon juice. I was again reminded of this technique recently when I tested six popular lemon bar recipes to find the best one. Though both the pie and lemon bars include whole eggs or yolks to help yield clean slices, it turns out you only need two ingredients to make a delicious, spoonable, shortcut lemon curd.
Let me let you in on a little secret: Something magical happens when you whisk together lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk. Put simply, the acid from the lemon juice causes the proteins in the condensed milk to coagulate (think homemade buttermilk), but rather than curdling like when you add vinegar to milk, it thickens. Once thickened, that sweet and citrusy mixture resembles a creamy, shortcut lemon curd, perfect for spooning over fresh berries, layering in a trifle, or anything in between.
This shortcut lemon curd is a great party trick and especially useful during the warmer summer months. Traditional lemon curd relies on eggs and butter for its thick, silky texture — this version gets its texture from the sweetened condensed milk, making it eggless and no-cook. The condensed milk also makes the shortcut lemon curd uber creamy (you might see it also referred to as a pudding because of the creaminess) and able to balance a high ratio of lemon juice for maximum punchiness. Not to mention, it takes just minutes of hands-on time to put together. Needing only 15 minutes to thicken (though I do recommend longer if you like it well chilled), it's perfect for when you need to throw together dessert in a pinch.
Juice the lemons. For one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, you'll want to juice enough lemons until you have 1/4 cup to 2/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 to 3 lemons). 1/4 cup lemon juice yields a curd that is sweeter and milkier with a mild lemon flavor and thicker texture. 2/3 cup lemon juice yields a brighter, tangier lemon flavor and looser texture. (Note that while you can add up to 1 cup total juice to one can of condensed milk, the mixture will be looser and more sauce-like). Optionally, you can also finely zest the lemon for extra flavor, but the mixture will not be as smooth with the bits of zest.
Combine the condensed milk and juice. In a medium bowl, whisk together one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk with the lemon juice until well combined and smooth. You'll see the mixture thicken slightly as you combine the ingredients.
Cover the bowl and chill. Refrigerate until thickened and spoonable, at least 15 minutes (longer if you prefer it well chilled). You can make the curd up to one day in advance and keep stored covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Give it a gentle stir before using, but avoid over-stirring as it can thin out.
You can taste and adjust as needed.This shortcut curd can easily be adjusted to suit your taste as you're making it. Start with a smaller amount of lemon juice, stir it into the condensed milk, taste, and add more lemon juice as needed before chilling.
Swap the lemon juice for a different citrus. Key limes would also work exceptionally well here.
Keep it on hand for dessert in a pinch. Spoon the curd over fresh berries and store-bought pound cake or angel food cake and top with a little whipped cream for a quick, low-effort treat.
Take a cue from the Atlantic beach pie and turn it into no-bake dessert cups. Layer the curd in small glasses or coupes with a saltine cracker crumble and lightly sweetened whipped cream for a treat that has all the flavors of Atlantic beach pie, but takes just a fraction of the work.
Make it even lighter. Fold the curd into beaten cream cheese, whipped cream, or a combination of the two to yield a bright and airy cream perfect for trifles and other desserts.
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