Gordon Ramsay's Take On Dessert Pizza Is Lemon-Centric

Dessert pizza isn't some novel concept, but most versions are very sweet and loaded with chocolate, marshmallows, diced fruit, or candy. Some recipes use traditional pizza dough as the base, but others substitute brownies or sugar cookies and decorate it to imitate a pizza. While those sweet concoctions can be delicious and are loved by children and adults alike, Michelin-star chef Gordon Ramsay created a more mature, lemon-centric dessert pizza we need to try.  

Ramsay's version is more balanced between tart and sweet than the average dessert pizza, and it's ideal for lemon lovers. While visiting the oldest pizzeria in Naples, Italy, where they take their pizza very seriously, Ramsay was inspired by the juicy Amalfi lemons and a dessert he enjoyed as a child. The chef goes rogue in a city with laws protecting its pizza and wows his dining companions with an unconventional lemon curd pizza.

The pizzeria's supple sourdough pizza dough is stretched thin and smeared with a mixture of jarred lemon curd and the zest, juice, and flesh of several Amalfi lemons. Ramsay dusts the edges of the pizza with powdered sugar before placing it in their very hot wood-fired oven for 90 seconds. Once done, it's spotted with roughly torn basil and cool dollops of crème fraîche.

The sweet but tart topping of Amalfi lemons and curd is a nice contrast to the sourdough. The confectioners' sugar melts in the hot oven, creating a crackly caramelized texture on the pizza crust, which Ramsay describes as reminiscent of créme brûlée.

Traditionally served in the United Kingdom on scones or toast, lemon curd is a rich, sweet, and tangy condiment that fills desserts like tarts and layer cakes. As a child, the British chef said he enjoyed toast with lemon curd as a treat — which inspired his lemon curd pizza. A jar of unopened lemon curd will last in the pantry one year – although you'll use it before then. Once opened, use the curd within a month. It can also be frozen if appropriately sealed for up to a year. In a pinch, lemon curd can be made at home in 30 minutes with lemons, sugar, butter, eggs, and lemon juice.

To make lemon curd, add the peel of three lemons to a food processor with one-and-a-half cups of granulated sugar. Pulse the lemon sugar until minced, and blend it with one stick of softened butter, a pinch of Kosher salt, the juice of three lemons, and four eggs. 

To easily juice a lemon, try rolling it between your palm and the countertop, breaking up the fibers. You can also put the whole lemon in the microwave for ten seconds to make it easier to juice. Please ensure you zest the lemon before juicing it to make things easier. 

Cook the mixture over low heat until it's thick and glossy, about ten minutes. Make sure to stir the lemon curd while it cooks to prevent the eggs from curdling. Allow it to cool completely before storing the lemon curd covered in the refrigerator for up to ten days. Making it from scratch allows you to control how sweet you want the curd to be and makes a thoughtful homemade gift. 

Add it to the top of vanilla ice cream for an instant upgrade, or smear shortbread, sugar cookies, or macarons with lemon curd to create a raspberry lemon macaron cake. It can be folded into whipped cream to add a lemony flavor and used to make lemon bars.