Pecan Spice Cake with Lemon Curd

2 cups all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter; melted and cooled
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
¾ cups hot water
⅓ cup un-sulfured molasses
⅓ cup honey
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
Lemon Curd

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Sift flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, pepper and salt together.
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk egg and sugar to blend. Whisk in butter and lemon peel.
4. In another bowl, combine hot water, molasses and honey. Add to butter mixture alternately with dry ingredients, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix in pecans. Transfer to prepared dish.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for about 50 minutes until springy to touch.
6. Cool cake slightly on rack. Cut cake into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature, spooning lemon curd over each piece.Servings: 8

Lemon Curd
3 large eggs
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons) Do not use the bottled lemon juice.
¾ cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon lemon zest*1. In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, whisking constantly to prevent it from curdling, until the mixture becomes pale in color and quite thick (like a hollandaise sauce or sour cream). This will take about 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps.
3. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted.
4. Add the lemon zest, cover, and let cool to room temperature. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Covering the lemon curd with plastic wrap prevents a skin from forming on the surface.

Note: Lemon Zest is the yellow outer rind of the lemon that contains the fruit’s flavor and perfume. The rind being the outer skin of the lemon which consists of both the yellow zest and white membrane (pith).

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