Lemon Curd and Cherry Compote with Shortbread Pistachio Crumble

Lemon curd topped with cherry compote in three glasses

Lemon Curd and Cherry Compote with Shortbread Pistachio Crumble

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

This lemon curd dessert is layered with cherry compote and topped with buttery shortbread pistachio crumble. Every velvety bite is deliciously sweet and tart with the perfect crunch.

Ingredients

Cherry Compote Ingredients:

2 cups frozen cherries, (see note 1)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. orange zest, approx. 1 orange (see note 2 and 3)
1/4 cup orange juice, approx. 1 orange (see note 2 and 3)
2 Tbsp. butter, cubed

Lemon Curd Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 egg yolks, (see note 4)
2 Tbsp. lemon zest, approx. 2 lemons (see notes 2 and 3)
1/4 cup lemon juice, approx. 2 lemons (see notes 2 and 3)
8 Tbsp. butter, cubed

Assembly Ingredients:

1/4 cup shortbread, crumbled
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
orange zest, (optional)
fresh thyme, (optional)

Instructions

Cherry Compote Instructions:

In a medium pan, combine all Cherry Compote Ingredients except the cubed butter. Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer until thickened (see note 5) about 10-15 minutes.
The compote has thickened enough once you can draw a line down the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
Stir in the cubed butter until combined. Set aside to cool.

Lemon Curd Instructions:

Before turning on the heat, in a small/medium pot whisk together all Lemon Curd Ingredients except the cubed butter. Turn the heat on to medium and whisk continuously (see note 6).
Still whisking continuously, cook until the mixture has thickened (about 4-7 minutes) and can coat the back of a wood spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in the cubed butter a couple pieces at a time. Set aside and cool.

Assembly Instructions:

After letting the lemon curd and cherry compote cool for 10-15 minutes, distribute the lemon curd evenly into individual dishes. Add a layer of the cherry compote. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, top with crumbled shortbread, pistachios, and orange zest. Serve immediately.

Notes

Note 1 – Frozen Cherries: Frozen cherries are almost always pitted. Therefore, there is no need to remove any pits before using the frozen cherries.

Note 2 – Zesting: Be sure to zest your orange and lemons before juicing them.

Note 3 – Measurements: Feel free to skip measuring orange/lemon zest and juice. Simply use the zest/juice of two medium lemons and the zest/juice of one orange. Below are general measurements for reference.

1 orange = 2-3 Tbsp. zest
1 orange = 4-5 Tbsp. juice
1 lemon = 1 Tbsp. zest
1 lemon = 3 Tbsp. juice

Note 4 – Egg Yolks: To separate egg yolks from egg whites, crack the egg in half and keep the egg in one half of the shell. Transfer the egg back and forth between the two shells, keeping the yolk in the shell and allowing the white to drip out of the shell until all the egg white is removed.

Two hands separating egg yolks from whites.

Note 5 – Cherry Compote Thickening: The cherry compote will thicken gradually. If you remove it from the heat too soon, simply put it back on the stove and continue cooking.

Note 6 – Lemon Curd Whisking: Be sure to whisk constantly. If you do not whisk constantly, the eggs may cook too quickly and curdle making your lemon curd chunky and eggy instead of velvety and delicious.

When whisking, the lemon curd will start out thin and bright yellow in color. After a couple minutes, it start to get a little foamy. Then suddenly it will get very foamy and thicken. The color will also be a pale yellow.

Nutrition

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