Soon after Elizabeth mentioned them, we spotted cara cara oranges at our local grocery. We ate a few for afternoon snacks, but then our thoughts quickly turned to dessert. Wouldn't this sweet citrus make a great jam curd? Why, yes it would!
We'd hoped the curd would end up as pink as the fruit, but alas, it seems the pink color comes from the flesh of the orange and not the juice. All the same, we love the sunny orange hue that we did get!
If you can't find cara cara oranges in your grocery, feel free to substitute regular navel oranges - or any other seasonal citrus, for that matter! Simmering the juice down helps to concentrate delicate citrus flavors and makes the resulting curd more intensely flavored.
Cara Cara Orange Curd
Makes about 1 cup
1/2 - 3/4 cups orange juice from 2 oranges
zest from one orange
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large egg
2 large yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened
pinch of salt
Pour the orange juice into a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring the juice to a rapid simmer and let it reduce down to approximately 1/4 cup. This should take 2-4 minutes.
Transfer the orange juice to a measuring cup to cool. Stir in the zest and lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, yolks, and sugar. When the orange juice has cooled to room temperature, whisk it into the egg mixture in a steady stream.
Place a clean bowl with a strainer over the top next to the stove.
Pour the egg and juice mixture back into your small sauce pan and set it over medium heat. Stir slowly but constantly until the mixture has thickened to a pudding-like consistency - about 6-8 minutes or until the mixture is 180°.
Strain the mixture into the clean bowl to remove the zest and any bits of cooked egg. (Alternatively, you can leave the zest in the curd for a chunkier texture.) Stir in the butter and the pinch of salt while the curd is still warm.
Store the curd in a clean jar with a lid. It will keep refrigerated for about a week.
Related: Easy Ice Cream Topping: What About Curd?
(Images: Emma Christensen)
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Recipe: Ham, Cheddar & Chive Egg Bakes
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Bacsac Bacsquare 04...
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
I made lemon curd today for a pie and all the while I was thinking it would be wonderful as orange curd. So thanks for reading my mind!
I'm wondering if my remaining clementines would work for this......
can't help but think this would be delicious with the (scrumptious!) one bowl cake recipe:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/dessert/recipe-the-no-mixer-one-bowl-cake-recipe-105456
That looks so pretty! I made lemon curd once and ate it on top of a pound cake with blueberries, but had way too many leftovers and ended up trashing it :(
Oh this is SOOOOO pretty. I love cara caras. Seems like you could get a beautiful color with sanguinello or moro blood oranges or with variegated PINK lemons! The orange color of the rangpur lime could be fun too. Citrus has the best colors.
I made tangelo curd last week and it was fabulous in orange colored macarons.
@ orchidgirl -- i am gasping in horror!!! trashing lemon curd!!! the thought! :) next time you better think of some way to get it all into your belly.
to the original poster: that is so beautiful...looks like a perfect taste of springy, bright luxury to cheer you up midwinter. (obv cara cara oranges are a winter seasonal fruit, but they still seem springy!)
the only citrus curd experiment i had was making grapefruit curd to fill thumbprint shortbread cookies. very good!
I just made this--so very delicious and easy, and adorable in little pots. Thanks!
Do you think this can be frozen? I have a large bunch of oranges that are too sour to eat, but this might be the perfect use for them!
This is WAY late, but you're better off freezing the juice instead.
My husband made this to accompany a cream cheese pound cake. Can you say wonderful? Thanks for the recipe!