My mom used to make this sauce and I loved it! She used to serve it on top of warm gingerbread with a dollop of whipping cream and a sprinkling of nutmeg. In fact, I’m going to bring you her gingerbread recipe tomorrow!
This sauce can be made thicker like lemon curd or thinner as a dessert sauce. Either way it is divine! There are a so many ways to serve this sauce. I love lemon added to anything, especially in the spring time! I know it’s not spring yet, just let me dream!
In a saucepan whisk together cornstarch, sugar, salt and nutmeg (if desired).
Over medium heat and while whisking gradually add water. Continue to whisk and cook until sauce begins to thicken.
Whisk 3 egg yolks in a separate bowl (I used a measuring cup). Once sugar mixture has thickened a little, slowly add about 1/4 cup of it to the beaten egg yolks. Whisk. Then add 1/4 cup more sugar mixture to egg yolks and whisk again. This helps the egg yolks rise in temperature without scrambling.
Continue to whisk sugar mixture over medium heat while gradually adding the egg yolk mixture. Keep stirring, or whisking. Bring to a gentle boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat. Add butter, lemon zest and juice and nutmeg. Whisk together.
This sauce really is versatile. It can be made thicker to resemble lemon curd.
Or it can be made thinner more like a dessert sauce. I may or may not have eaten a few servings of this with a spoon. Hey, nobody was home when I made it so I could do whatever I wanted!
Angel food cake topped with fresh raspberries, this sauce and freshly whipped cream is divine!
I bet you can think of a million ways to serve this sauce. We have eaten it over ice cream and on top of blueberry pancakes. I even added a little to a three berry smoothy one time! Yum!! I bet it would be superb folded into whipped topping and used to frost a jello salad! The sky is the limit! Make it soon. It should be a staple in the fridge!!
- ¾ c. sugar
- 4 T. cornstarch
- ¼ tsp. salt
- dash nutmeg (optional)
- 1½ - 2 cups water (use more to make the sauce thinner or less water to make it thicker)
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 T. butter
- ½ tsp. lemon zest
- 2 T. lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best)
- yellow food coloring (optional, play with it to get the color yellow that you like)
- To a saucepan add sugar, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg (if desired). Whisk all these dry ingredients together. Continue to whisk while gradually adding desired amount of water. Constantly whisk over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken. I like to thicken it until it is the consistency of gravy.
- Meanwhile, whisk three egg yolks in a separate container.
- Once sugar and cornstarch mixture is thickened add about ¼ cup to egg yolks. Whisk together. Repeat with an additional ¼ cup sugar and cornstarch mixture.
- Continue to whisk cornstarch and sugar mixture over medium heat while gradually adding the egg yolk mixture. Stir and heat until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Allow it to boil for one minute.
- Remove from heat. Add butter, lemon zest and juice. Stir to combine.
- Serve while warm or refrigerate leftovers in an air tight container.
- NOTE: This sauce really is versatile. If you want a thicker, more like lemon curd, sauce use about 1½ cups water. If you like the sauce thinner use about 2 cups water. You may even like it thinner and can add more water in the end.
- For a zestier sauce add more lemon juice.
- For a pale lemon sauce use only a few drops of yellow food coloring. If you would like a darker yellow sauce use additional drops of food coloring.
Thick or thin, this sauce is really good.