Apple and Rum Curd

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I love making curds. Adore it. It’s quick, cheap and incredibly flexible.

A good curd is delicious on toast (obviously – most things are), but it also forms the basis of so many desserts and when I have a curd in the fridge it means I can whip something delicious up in seconds: mousse, ice cream, cake, waffles, tarts, cream buns. It has literally never gone wrong… so far… when it inevitably fails next time, I’ll blame writing this.

Apple curd is amazing. For a long time, I didn’t bother with it, convinced the flavour of the apple would be over-powered by the custard. The only thing I’m upset about is that I didn’t try this before. The flavour of apple comes through so well and I can’t wait to use it in everything!

While not essential, the addition of Grumblebee's Rum adds a lovely honey aspect. Be careful not to add too much, or it will make the curd too liquid. Be sure to add any alcohol when the curd is off the heat, to avoid the curd splitting.

The biggest surprise in this experiment was what a difference different types of sugar make. When I made this recipe with dark brown sugar it came out with a toffee apple quality, deep and beautiful, with a very autumnal quality. Next time I make this (and there WILL be a next time) I might add some cinnamon and make it a truly, properly autumny experience. When I made it with caster sugar, the result was more apple-y and more suited for lighter desserts.

The only problem with either recipe is that I doubt either jar will make it into a dessert, since I can’t stop ‘taste testing’ the results!

• 90ml/3 fl oz apple juice
• 75g/3oz sugar
• 50g/2oz butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 tbsp Grumblebee Rum

1. Place the juice, sugar, butter and eggs in a heat proof bowl and place over a pan of boiling water (a double boiler), mixing continuously.
2. When all the ingredients have melted together, reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to stir, until the mixture thickens.
3. When the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, remove from the heat, leave to cool for a minute and add the rum, mixing vigorously.
4. If your curd has scrambled a bit, fear not: while it is still warm and relatively runny, put the mixture through a fine sieve and it will be smooth and lovely again, with nary an egg white in sight. 
5. Put the curd in a sterilised jar and store for up to 2 weeks in the fridge (apparently... mine has never made it that long, so I've never been able to test it).