Rootitoot Lemon Curd and Pie Filling

This really is the simplest treat ever - blend everything at once, pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, leave it for a 10-minute natural release and then whisk the heck out of it. Not kidding. It's a snap. For novices, here are the step-by-steps.

Tips: When buying lemons, choose the ones that seem heavy for their size - they have the most juice. Pick ones with smooth skins; dimpled skins often have the thickest peels. Press each one with your thumb: if it gives a bit, it probably has a thinner skin. To get the most juice, put them in the microwave for 15 seconds per lemon and roll each lemon on the counter, pressing down firmly, to break up the interior cell membranes.

1. Blend all the ingredients at once. You can use an immersion blender, food processor, blender, hand mixer or whisk. Mix and cook in a PYREX 4-cup measure or any oven-safe dish, casserole or even mason jars. Avoid anything metal, as it can produce a metallic taste.
2. Put 1 1/2 cups of water and the trivet in the Instant Pot. Put the lemon curd on the trivet and cover with a sheet of parchment paper (not absolutely necessary). Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to Sealing.
3. Push the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button and use the + and - buttons to get to 10 minutes. When it beeps that it's done, leave it for a 10-minute natural release (you can double this recipe - same cook time). Then flip the valve to Venting for a quick release of any remaining pressure.
4. When the pin drops, open the pot and take the lemon curd out. It will look weird and "split" but don't worry. Use a whisk to vigorously blend the curd until smooth - it just takes a minute. If you want, strain it to remove the lemon zest for a perfectly smooth result. Cool on the counter for half an hour or so and whisk again. And you're done.
5. Refrigerate for up to a week. Fabulous as a cheesecake topping, tart filling topped with whipped cream, on yogurt, ice cream, on toast or pancakes.

Sweeter curd: add an extra 2-4 Tbsp sugar and an extra egg yolk. Everything else remains the same. Lime or orange curd: substitute lime juice and zest for Lime Curd; for Orange curd include 2 Tbsp lemon juice in the 2/3 cup juice (all orange juice can be too sweet). You can make any kind of curd using juice from whatever strikes your fancy: raspberry, grape, blackberry, whatever.

Thicker Lemon Curd / Pie Filling: Same method and cook times as the basic recipe above, but use 1/3 cup melted butter, 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar, 4 large whole eggs, 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 Tbsp lemon zest grated. Using 4 whole eggs instead of 2 eggs and 2 yolks produces a thicker lemon curd, more like a pie filling; increase the lemon juice and zest accordingly.