Use up that citrus crop with this easy Blood Orange Curd with Cardamom. Perfect when drizzled on toast, scones, pancakes, cookies and even cake.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, there are so many dessert options out there to share with your sweetie. Chocolate usually comes to mind, like my Bailey’s chocolate mousse!
Then there are truffles and rum raisin fudge to consider. But why not try something equally decadent but more on the fruity spectrum?
You don’t have to shower your “loved ones” with so much sugar or chocolate. So, I offer you a touch of sweet, because that is all you really need.
Why you this recipe is so fabulous
Fruit curds are a a wonderful spread when you don’t want to use jams or jellies. They are made with egg yolks, sugar and butter. When you think of fruit curd, usually lemon curd comes to mind.
I’ve made an olive oil lemon curd and a pumpkin curd. For Valentine’s Day, I found inspiration with the always dramatic, blood orange. These blood oranges were mildly sweet and only required about a half a cup of sugar.
Curd is very easy to make and can be used a number of different ways. Use your orange curd to top your bread, scones, tarts, cookie or cake. I used the blood orange curd to top my white rose cake, minus the roses.
Ingredients you need
- Egg yolks: The entire egg is not needed to make fruit curd, only the yolks. You can use the egg whites for a healthy omelette or to make a pavlova (meringue).
- Blood oranges: Both the juice and the zest is used to make this curd. You can also use regular oranges.
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Ground cardamom: Cardamom has a wonderful aroma and flavor to it. Only a little is needed for this curd, but you can omit it altogether if you prefer.
Step-by-step directions
1. In a small saucepan whisk egg yolks, sugar, cardamom, blood orange juice and zest until well combined. Continue whisking with the saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and add butter one tablespoon at a time. Whisk until each tablespoon has melted and combined thoroughly before dropping in the next tablespoon.
3. Transfer mixture into a bowl and cover surface with a sheet of parchment paper to prevent skin from forming over the top. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Recipe tips and FAQs
Fruit curds have come a long way since the 1800s of jolly old England. Today, they are enjoyed all over the world in all kinds of colors and flavors. This blood orange curd is just another variation that makes life more delicious.
Homemade fruit lemon curds will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up toย four weeks. You can also freeze fruit curd. Just transfer it into a freezer safe container after it has cooled to room temperature, then freeze it.
Fruit curds are very easy to make and can be used a number of different ways. You can use your orange curd to top your bread, scones, tarts, pancakes, cream puffs or cakes. Use it as a dip to dunk your favorite fresh fruits.
Blood Orange Curd
Use up that citrus crop with this easy Blood Orange Curd with Cardamom. Perfect when drizzled on toast, scones, pancakes, cookies and even cake.
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 blood oranges, juice and grated zest
- 6 TBS unsalted butter
- ยฝ cup sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- In a small saucepan whisk egg yolks, sugar, cardamom, blood orange juice and zest until well combined.
- Continue whisking with the saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon, about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add butter one tablespoon at a time. Stir until each tablespoon has melted and combined thoroughly before dropping in the next tablespoon.
- Transfer mixture into a bowl and cover surface with a sheet of parchment paper to prevent skin from forming over the top. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Notes
Serving Suggestions: This blood orange curd is pictured as a topping to my White Rose Cake.
Cooking Tips: As the eggs are cooked at low temperature, use pasteurized eggs to remove risk of salmonella poisoning.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 32mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 29gProtein: 3g
PSย If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a reviewย in the comment sectionย further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
You can also follow me onย Pinterest,ย Facebookย orย Instagram.ย Sign up for my eMail list, too!
blood orange curd sounds new and really delicious! Besides the color is so lovely!
Blood orange is one of my favourite citrus fruits… I have made it in curd several times and loved it. Yours looks divine!
Thanks, Lizzy! This was my first curd. I have no idea why it took me so long to make it?!!!
Give me citrus over chocolate any day…Pinning away ๐
Totally agree!!!!
I love the idea of using blood orange in a curd! I hadn’t thought about it, but I think lemon curd is the only one I’ve ever made. Weird. I need to get out more! Fun post — thanks.
Not all blood oranges are alike. These came from Trader Joe’s and were nice and sweet – and plenty red!
Most Australians don’t celebrate Valentine’s day. Those that don’t include my husband. I don’t have to do anything special at all but I do get taken out to dinner.
I would definitely be a star if I made this blood orange curd. I might change Valentine’s Day celebrations forever.
It’s not like I’m a big fan of Valentine’s Day, but it’s so in-your-face here in the US, that it’s pretty hard to ignore.