Lemon Butter

Lots of lemon butter has been made in our house lately, thanks to the generosity of good friends sharing their lemons and our little lemon tree finally providing us with fruit.

Maureen used lemon butter in the beautiful cream sponge she brought to share with us on Saturday and it was delicious. Since then the recipe has been requested a couple of times, so I thought it must be time to share it here again (it is in the Recipe File in the Member's Centre).

Six Minute Lemon Butter

Ingredients:
125g butter (real butter please, not margarine in this recipe)
1 cup castor sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice

Method:
Using an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are light and fluffy. If you don't have an electric mixer you can use a stick blender or a large balloon whisk.

Add the sugar to the eggs in two parts and continue beating until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and fluffy.

Stir in the lemon juice.

Melt the butter.

Carefully pour the melted butter into the egg mixture and whisk well.

Pour mixture into a microwave safe jug or bowl. Cook on high for two minutes. Beat well.

Cook another two minutes. By now the mixture will be starting to thicken. Make sure you beat it well to make it smooth.

Cook a further two minutes. Beat well, breaking up any lumps. The mixture should be thick, a similar texture to a pouring custard.

Whisk well between cooking spurts. The mixture will change colour and texture as it cooks.

Pour your lovely, hot lemon butter into hot, sterilised jars.  Seal immediately. Once cool place in fridge. The lemon butter will set as it cools. Keep refrigerated. This lemon butter will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.

This recipe makes 3 cups of lemon butter.

Notes:

Cost: $1.80 if you buy all the ingredients, much less if you have lemons and chickens for eggs.

I sterilise the jars in the oven and leave them there until the lemon butter is ready so they stay hot.

I've searched and searched and not found a satisfactory way to preserve this recipe for long-term storage other than freezing it. It is not acidic enough to be preserved in a hot water bath successfully and the risk of botulism isn't worth it (the eggs and butter in the recipe make it a prime candidate if not cooked and stored properly). 

With storage in mind I make one batch at a time unless it is going to be used straight away or frozen.

I have used both fresh and frozen lemon juice in this recipe with equal success.