"Family Recipe Friday" - Nan's Lemon Butter

Since I have been blogging I continue to be surprised by the blogs that attract the most readers.  Two years ago, not long after "Nan" passed away, I posted her recipe for stale bread cake (Family Recipe Friday - Nan's Stale Bread Cake) to celebrate her birthday.

This recipe was an old family favorite that she always had on hand when someone dropped in for a cup of tea. Of all the posts I have written the number of hits "Nan's Stale Bread Cake" far out numbers any other blog I have written!

So today, to celebrate her birthday and memory, I will share another of her favorites.  Lemon Butter!

When ever she visited us, she never failed to bring along a jar of lemon butter for my husband. I can remember when visiting her in her lovely cottage in the North Queensland home of Atherton, we would have to go on a special excursion to a small farm about 20 kms outside of town to buy six dozen eggs (because they were much cheaper) for the lemon butter.  

Nan's Lemon Butter

1 cup of butter

1 cup of  castor sugar

6 eggs

6 lemons (from her lemon tree)

grated zest of three lemons

Beat eggs in bowl, add sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter, slowly add the egg, sugar and lemon mix into the saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until thickened.   Spoon the mixture into sterile jars.  When cooled, seal and store in the fridge.

Nan loved to make large quantities for family, so if you feel that this will be more lemon butter than you need you can easily halve the recipe to make a smaller quantity.

Lemon butter is wonderful in sponge cakes and tarts, but my favorite is on hot buttered toast.