blood orange curd.

This post could also be titled "The recipe that never should've happened". Why? Because I'm not a huge fan of oranges. Actually, I don't think I've ever bought a case of oranges for myself…ever. When everyone loses their minds at Christmas over tangerines/nectarines/cuties, I just can't get into it. Orange juice? I'd rather have grape. Push pops? Ugh. I do however, love orange tic tacs, but those really don't taste like orange, and I'm pretty sure I only love them because of the texture. 

How did this curd happen? Well, I'll tell you. The color. Yep, I got sucked into these little gorgeous oranges because of their color and convinced myself that they would taste different than a regular orange. They do not. Major bummer. But, this curd makes the taste of these oranges a little more sweet and a lot less bitter! Win! I've eaten this by the spoonful and slathered on toast, but I am dying to dip waffles in it and stuff it into a little powdered sugar donut. What don't I want to put on waffles/donuts? Weird. 

Blood Orange Curd

from Cupcake Rehab

I really think the gorgeous color of this curd comes from reducing it a little bit before making the curd. You can skip that step if you don't care about color. 

3 medium blood oranges

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

pinch of salt

Zest all three oranges and place the zest in a medium bowl.

Juice the oranges and then run through a fine-mesh sieve to make sure all the pulp and any seeds are removed. (I ended up with 3/4 cup after I was done juicing).

Place the juice in a small saucepan over low heat and reduce to 1/2 cup. Remove juice from heat and pour into a separate container to cool down a bit.

In a medium saucepan whisk together  the eggs, sugar, and salt. Add in the butter pieces, and slowly whisk in the orange juice.

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (usually about 15-20 minutes).

Strain the curd into the bowl with the zest. Combine the zest and curd until well blended. Place into a jar and refrigerate.