Cranberry Curd

I already spilled my guts about my love for curd (and eating it straight from the jar) when I shared my recipe for meyer lemon curd last winter, so I won't make you endure that love fest all over again. I'll just say that curds are the dreamiest of toast toppings - at the same time tart, sweet, and creamy. 

When I got some 100% cranberry juice to experiment with from the fine folks at Starvation Alley, curd was of course at the top of my long list of recipes to develop! Bonus - naturally pink foods are always more fun! 

Starvation Alley grows organic cranberries in their Long Beach, WA cranberry bog and cold presses 100% cranberry juice from their farm and other PNW farms which are organic or transitioning to organic. Growing cranberries requires pumping water from the neighboring watershed into the bog for harvest then returning it to the wild, meaning that the pesticides sprayed on conventional cranberries go straight back into our beloved watershed. I couldn't be more proud of the work Starvation Alley is doing to help more cranberry farms go organic! 

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. When eating curd, it's easy to assume that it must be a fussy and difficult thing to make - but the reality is that just 15 minutes in front of the stove and a good fine mesh strainer will have you decadent curd in no time! 

The biggest secrets lie in using a double boiler (aka a bowl over a pot with a little simmering water in the bottom), constantly stirring so it cooks evenly, and straining the mixture when you're finished to remove any little clumps of egg that might have cooked too much. 

I've always been a big fan of curd on toast, for it's ease and simplicity. And the fact that I better be speedy if I want enough curd to remain for a more in depth project! That darn obsession with eating it by the spoonful be damned! 

That said, curd makes a great filling for cake layers and this curd will sit beautifully in mini tart shells or puff pastry cups. It won't, however, be perfect for a full sized tart, for that requires a stiffer curd that will hold its shape when cut (aka, it needs way more butter!). 

So make this curd, then let your imagination run wild - or eat it all by the spoonful like I prefer to do, the world of curd is your oyster! 

Cranberry Curd 

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp unsweetened 100% cranberry juice (I used Starvation Alley!) 

2 Tbsp lemon juice 

1/4 cup sugar 

2 eggs 

2 egg yolks 

3 oz / 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes 

pinch sea salt 

• Whisk together all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and place over a pot with a few inches of water in the bottom, being sure the bowl isn't touching the water. 
• With the pot over medium heat, cook the mixture, whisking constantly. A few minutes after the butter melts, the mixture will start to thicken. When it does, pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer and into a jar. It will thicken more as it cools. 
• Store curd, covered, in the refrigerator. 

Disclaimer: I have received free product or money from businesses highlighted in this article - which helps me keep this blog alive. I take great pride in the advice I share here on Toot Sweet, and would never recommend a product to you that I'm not over-the-moon excited about, or that I wouldn't purchase for use in my own kitchen. 

Toasted Coconut Chips

Have you beautiful people ever tried Dang Coconut Chips? They are out of control amazing coconut chips - perfectly crisp and crunchy, and just sweet enough. We brought some on our last camping trip to Smith Rock State Park, and devoured them as a snack straight from the bag and sprinkled over our morning oatmeal. Pure heaven! 

I'll definitely still be buying Dang as a treat, but I've been working on re-creating something just as satisfying at home. I think to truly recreate the thicker slices of coconut in Dang chips, fresh coconut would be required. This version, however, uses the coconut flakes that you can easily find inexpensively at your grocery store making this a super affordable alternative to those addicting Dang chips. This recipe is also SO incredibly easy, and makes a delicious snack or topping for all sorts of things - like ice cream, oatmeal, yogurt, smoothie bowls - the list goes on! 

But lets be honest... every time I've made these I end up eating more than half of them straight from their container. Handful by handful : ) And no one's judging if you do the exact same! 

Also, in case you missed my reference to ice cream before, I'm just going to reiterate it for you here. Because ice cream is pretty darn important. Chocolate ice cream (this is actually Talenti fudge brownie gelato... takin' it to the next level!) + toasted coconut chips = HEAVEN! 

Maybe someday I'll try what I think would be a more authentic version made from fresh coconut, but for now - this is the easiest and most affordable way to get my coconut snack on! 

Toasted Coconut Chips 

4 cups unsweetened coconut flakes 

1/4 cup maple syrup

a few pinches of sea salt 

• In a medium bowl, drizzle maple syrup over coconut flakes. Sprinkle with salt. Gently stir to coat the coconut flakes evenly with the syrup without breaking too many of those nice big flakes. 
• Spread coconut evenly over a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. 
• Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the coconut is lightly browned and starting to crisp. You'll want to stir it every 5 minutes or so for the entire baking time. 
• Let coconut cool completely, then store in an airtight container. 

Meyer Lemon Curd

My obsession with lemon curd began many many many years ago with the amazing lemon and lime curds made by American Spoon Foods (purveyors of the most impeccably flavored preserves you've ever encountered). Growing up in Petoskey, their products were staples in our household and no trip downtown was complete without stopping in to sample their latest creations. 

While I could go on and on about the wonders of Spoon, the lemon curd has long been the one product I can't resist eating straight from the jar. Spoonful after spoonful after spoonful. When not in northern Michigan, I would buy other lemon curds from the shelf at the grocery store, but nothing could compare to the fresh creamy citrus of American Spoon Foods' curd. 

The first time I made lemon curd in my own kitchen, it was a total game changer. I discovered the reason I was so obsessed with that particular curd - it was the closest I could get to the flavor of freshly made lemon curd without actually making it myself. The amazing news is that curds are SUPER easy to make at home, all it takes is about 15 minutes and some constant stirring! Serious danger for this curd-lover. 

The citrus selection at my local grocery spot, New Seasons, is currently bordering on out of control. They're boasting 60 plus varieties of citrus, and that endless bounty of color is beyond magical during this cold, grey, and rainy time in Portland. Just as the mid-winter blues are starting to set in, I can't help but get excited to explore the endless opportunities of citrus flavors! I wanted to start with something classic - the meyer lemon. 

Meyer lemons were created by crossing a mandarin orange with a classic lemon, gifting us with a sweeter and more deeply flavored type of lemon. I consider these to be the perfect citrus for baking (although, there may be another 50 varieties to explore this winter!), as well as for curd-making. These days meyer lemons can be found in most grocery stores with an ample produce section for a few months each winter starting in December. 

I'll be honest - when the meyer lemon season arrives, I go all meyer all the time until they're no longer available. Regular lemons just don't measure up in my mind! 

This recipe is specifically written to make use of meyer lemons. If you're not able to find them, you can still make an absolutely amazing curd from regular lemons. Just be sure to increase the sugar to about 1/2 cup as your juice won't hold as much sweetness as meyer lemon juice. 

Meyer Lemon Curd 

1/2 cup meyer lemon juice 

1/3 cup sugar 

2 egg yolks 

2 eggs 

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed 

pinch of salt 

• In a double boiler over medium high heat or a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, and eggs until thoroughly combined. 
• Add butter and whisk continuously. The butter will melt, and after a bit more whisking the mixture will begin to thicken. Continue whisking until your whisk leaves clear lines in the curd as you stir. 
• Remove from heat, and strain the curd through a fine mesh strainer.
• Store your lemon curd in the refrigerator, and eat it within a few weeks (though good luck having it last more than a few days!). 

Serving: I've definitely given away that my favorite way to eat lemon curd is straight from the jar, spoonful after spoonful... but there are so many wonderful things to be done with it! Spread it on toast, serve it with scones, fill your cake layers or individual tarts (check out my full-size lemon tart recipe for the appropriate curd for filling tarts you'll be slicing).