Blackberry Curd Filling

This comes from Southern Living Magazine, July 2005.

Makes 3 cups

Prep:5 min., Cook: 8 min., Chill: 8 hours.

Once chilled, fillings and sauces thickened with corn starch will loosen when stirred. So, when ready to use, don’t stir. Just spoon the curd directly into tart shells, or spoon and spread over cake layers.

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups Blackberry Juice

3 large eggs

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup butter

COMBINE sugar and cornstarch in a 3-quart saucepan; fradually whisk in Blackberry Juice. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Bring mixture to a boil (5 to 6 minutes) over medium heat, whisking constantly.

COOK, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until a pudding-like thickness. Remove from heat, and whisk in butter. Cover, placing plastic wrap directly on curd, and chill 8 hours.

Blackberry Juice:

2 quarts fresh blackberries

1/2 cup water

BRING blackberries and water to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until blackberries are soft.

MASH blackberries with a potato masher or fork; pour through a large wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to squeeze out the juice. Discard the pulp and seeds.