Lemon sauce, which looks like curdled lemon juice, is a sweet, thick, creamy clear sauce that's perfect for topping dry desserts like gingerbread cookies. These sauces have very little fat content compared to cream and egg-based sauces (eg custard). In this guide you will learn how to make a traditional lemon sauce and a thicker lemon sauce.
Ingredients
Traditional Lemon Sauce
- 1 cup cold water (corn flour does not dissolve in hot water)
- 1 teaspoon corn flour
- 0.5 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Half a lemon zest (optional; the lemons will dry out if grated, so using lemon zest can be a good option)
For four people
Thick Lemon Sauce
- 1 egg
- 0.25 cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons or 1 lemon juice
- Half a grated lemon peel
- 0.75 cup sugar
- 0.5 cup butter
For four people
Step
Method 1 of 2: Traditional Lemon Sauce
Using the Microwave
Since most of the process in this recipe is heating the liquid, this microwave method can give just as good results as the traditional stovetop method. But the results with the microwave could have been better because the heating process is more thorough because the liquid won't get too hot.
Step 1. Mix all the ingredients in a heatproof bowl
It's best if the bowl has a separate lid if you want to save the sauce for later. If you don't have one, just cover it with a paper towel so the liquid doesn't splash all over the place.
Step 2. Stir until the cornstarch is evenly mixed and forms a cloudy liquid
The sugar and butter won't dissolve right away. Once you see that the texture is consistent, you're ready to microwave it.
Step 3. Cover the bowl so the liquid doesn't splash into the microwave
Don't close it too tightly. You don't want the lid to suddenly pop under the pressure of the steam.
Step 4. Microwave on maximum power but don't boil it
You only need about three minutes. After three minutes, stir and then put it back in the microwave.
If the sauce boils, remove it from the microwave and let it cool for 30 seconds, stirring a bit and then returning it to the microwave
Step 5. Reheat in the microwave to simmer for two minutes
Be careful not to overcook the sauce. When the sauce begins to bubble rapidly, stir and reheat for 15 to 30 seconds until the sauce is consistent and translucent in texture (but not clearly translucent).
Each microwave has a different power. No matter how short or long you reheat, if the texture is consistent and translucent, then the sauce is ready and should be removed from the microwave
Step 6. Carefully remove from the microwave and serve while warm
Refrigerate the sauce for a few minutes so it doesn't overheat and burn your tongue. Make sure the temperature is right before you serve it to anyone (especially children).
Place the remaining sauce in the refrigerator in a container with a lid. This sauce can last for several weeks
Using the Stove
Step 1. Mix cold water, cornstarch and sugar
Mix these three ingredients in a saucepan that is thick enough to avoid overheating and the heat is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the pan.
Make sure the water is cold. Otherwise, the flour will not dissolve well
Step 2. Turn on the stove on medium to low heat, then stir all the ingredients slowly
Stir faster when the sauce mixture starts to thicken, as that means the starch has started to change the texture of the sauce.
Step 3. Add lemon juice, butter, lemon flavor and serve
Stir all the ingredients again to make sure all the ingredients (especially the butter) are mixed well. When the texture of the sauce is consistent and translucent, remove from the heat and serve.
Many recipes recommend including the flavorings at the end. But including it from the start is also doable. The sauce mixture will only get hot at the end and won't stay hot for long, so be careful not to overheat the sauce
Method 2 of 2: Thick Lemon Sauce
Step 1. In a small saucepan, mix the eggs, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth
Stir until the texture of the mixture is consistent and even.
This recipe will make approximately 1.5 cups of lemon sauce
Step 2. Heat the sauce mixture over medium heat
Add and stir in the sugar and butter while heating the ingredients. Make sure you keep stirring until the butter melts and the sauce starts to boil.
Step 3. When it boils, remove the sauce from the stove
Let cool for a few minutes, and serve while warm. This thicker sauce is perfect for pudding, gingerbread, and even ice cream. Easy, right?
If you put it in a container with a lid, you can store it for up to a month in the refrigerator. But this sauce is better if served while warm
Tips
- You can increase or double the amount for this recipe. But reducing or dividing it can make controlling the heat difficult, because you don't want to overheat the sauce.
- For a calorie-free sauce, replace sugar with a nonfat artificial sweetener.
- For an exotic variation, replace the water with a non-alcoholic margarita. For an even more exotic variation, try using alcohol. But be careful with the dose, because too much will interfere with the process of thickening the cornstarch.
- You can also replace half the sugar with orange juice and reduce the amount of lemon juice by half. You can also add grated orange peel for a richer aroma.
- You can also add a little coloring so people can guess the taste of the sauce while making it more interesting.
- A non-sour flavoring like vanilla is a good substitute for a sour flavor if you want to use the sauce for desserts like chocolate cake.
