This list of things that I’ve stolen in my life is pretty small.

There was that piece of candy that I stole from Fedco when I was 7. My Dad caught me chomping on it in the back seat of the car and I got the big morality talk. Lesson: never steal anything too chewy.

There were the Girl Scout cookies I stole from my big sister’s room when she was out on a secret date. I was the natural suspect. I got a good talking to for that one. When I pulled the same cookie thievery the next week, well…. my parents made sure I learned my lesson that time.

Then there were all the times I would sneak into my Mom’s secret chocolate stashes. My Mom’s hiding places were no match for my ability to find a stool and wiggle my way around cabinets looking for sweets.

Thinking back on it, my thievery always involved something delicious that I wanted to put in my tummy. I was pathetically predictable in that sense.

I was once again tempted by the thievery gods this weekend while walking around my neighborhood. There’s citrus EVERYWHERE. Just about every other yard has a blooming orange or lemon tree just begging to be plucked. Isn’t sneaking into someones yard to yank their produce considered theft? I thought back to all of the stern reprimands and spankings I got from stealing yummies as a kid and thought better of sneaking into my neighbor’s yard.

Instead, I forked over some cash at the farmer’s market and felt just fine about making this Honey- Lime Curd.

Does this sort of concession mean my bad girl days are long gone? Sigh….

Honey-Lime Curd with Creme Fraiche

This recipe is alluringly tart. It’s pretty. It’s smooth, and the sweetness is beautifully rounded out by the honey. You could substitute lemons for limes if that’s what you have on hand. Serve this curd on warm scones or with creme fraiche and shortbread cookies. Lovely!

Print this recipe!

5 large egg yolks

1 large egg

2/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons honey

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

Creme Fraiche for serving

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil.

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the whole egg, the fresh lime juice, the teaspoon of lime zest and the honey.

Set the bowl with the lime mixture over the boiling water, creating a double boiler. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook the lime mixture, whisking constantly until the curd has thickened to the consistency of mayonnaise, about 7 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter pieces until smoothly combined. Pass the curd through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl.

Ladle the strained curd into 4 cups or ramekins. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the lime curd to prevent a skin from forming; refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours.

Top the curd with dollops of creme fraiche and garnish with remaining lime zest.

Serve with shortbread cookies or atop hot, sexy scones.