Velvety smooth, thick and creamy, soft and spreadable, sweet and tart — all characteristics of a good lemon curd. Every year around this time, I pull out my favorite recipe for lemon curd. Last week, I adapted that recipe to create a mouth-watering bowl of mango curd. A kiss of citrus from lemon and lime juices gives this creamy tropical curd just enough tartness to balance the sweet-as-honey mango.

Spread this Mango Curd on scones, banana muffins or bran muffins. Use it to fill tiny tarts or little thumbprint cookies. Sandwich it between butter cookies or spread it on shortbread.

Mango Curd is quite sublime with Tropical Mango Baby Cakes. In my column this week, I baked the cake batter in mini-bundt pans. The next batch of batter was baked in traditional cupcake tins. The cupcakes can be cut through the middle to form two layers. The Mango Curd is a perfect filling. Sprinkle the little cakes with powdered sugar and they are ready to eat.

The only thing that could possibly make this curd any more delectable would be folding some whipped cream into the pudding-like bowl of the mango-based mixture, creating mango cream.

Mango Curd is for all who just can’t get enough of the lovely mango that is in season and looking pretty in grocery stores right now.

Mango Curd

• 1 large ripe mango, peeled, cut into chunks
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• 3 large eggs

Puree mango chunks in blender or food processor. You should have about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of puree. Set aside.

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add sugar, lemon juice, lime juice and zest. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture just comes to a simmer. Add pureed mango and bring to simmer.

In a bowl or 4-cup glass measure, whisk eggs together. Gradually whisk in hot mango mixture and blend well. Pour mixture back into saucepan and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until it just begins to bubble. Pour mango curd through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl and cool slightly. Chill mango curd, its surface covered with plastic wrap, at least 2 hours, or until cold. Makes about 1 1/4 cups of mango curd.

Those who enjoy mangoes, will be interested in these recipes from earlier posts:

Honey Mango Crisp, Mango and Banana Chutney, Tropical Cream Phyllo Tarts with Grilled Mango and Pineapple, Mango Soup with Coconut Cream, My Dad’s Banana Muffins with A tropical Twist