As I was developing this recipe during our most recent blizzard, my teenage daughter and I were talking about the first time I made lemon curd and how unappetizing it sounded to her – stodgy and unappealing. The word “curd” just doesn’t strike a romantic image of sunny yellow, shiny folds or a silky glide over the tongue.

But don’t let the name deter you, because it turned out for my daughter and lemon curd, it was love at first taste.

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I admit, I once had the same aversion. It wasn’t until I reached adulthood that I tried it – a dessert a friend made with lemon curd swept away my prejudice.

After that day, the discoveries kept coming. I’ve since learned that lemon curd can be a filling, a frosting, a sauce, a topping, even an addition to yogurt when I’m feeling decadent. So if you think you are curd-averse, try Blizzard Roulade with Lemon Curd, Blueberries and Cream and see if you change your tune.

LEMON CURD

This recipe is adapted from “The New York Times Cookbook.” You’ll need 2 lemons.

Makes about 2 cups

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons lemon zest and 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cream the butter in the bowl of a mixer. Gradually beat in the sugar. Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture, followed by the lemon zest and juice.

Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and cook over low heat (or use a double boiler), whisking continuously until mixture thickens and deepens in color, about 7 minutes. If the mixture gets too hot or you fail to stir it, the eggs may scramble.

Using a rubber spatula, push the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl to catch any stray bits of scrambled egg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

BLIZZARD ROULADE WITH LEMON CURD, BLUEBERRIES AND CREAM

The cream cheese in the whipped cream helps stabilize it.

Serves 8 to 12

CAKE:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus a little extra for the pan), melted

1 cup cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus extra to decorate the roulade

1 cup blueberry jam

2 cups lemon curd (recipe above)

Fresh berries, to garnish

Lemon peel, to garnish

WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch salt

1 cup heavy cream

To make the cake, prepare the pan by brushing the extra butter onto a 12- by 17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Sift the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the salt together and set aside.

Put the eggs and the remaining sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk the mixture on medium speed until it is airy, pale, tripled in volume and resembles softly whipped cream, 4 to 5 minutes. You’ll know that the eggs are properly whipped when you lift the whisk and the mixture falls back into the bowl in a ribbon that rests on the surface for about 10 seconds. If the ribbon immediately sinks into the mixture, continue whipping for a few more minutes. Add the vanilla during the last moments of whipping.

Detach the bowl from the mixer. Sprinkle about one third of the flour mixture over the batter. Fold it into the egg mixture with a rubber spatula, stopping as soon as it is incorporated. Fold in the rest of the flour in 2 more additions. Fold in the melted butter. (You are making a classic French cake called a genoise; at this point, the batter is very fragile, so fold gently.)

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it with the spatula. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or until the cake springs back when pressed in the center and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan.

Dust a large, clean kitchen towel with 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar. Invert the baking sheet onto the towel and let the cake cool slightly. Before it is completely cooled, roll the cake (with the towel) up into a log.

To make the frosting, whip the cream cheese and sugar together on low speed in the bowl of a mixer. Add the vanilla and salt and then slowly pour in the heavy cream. Increase the speed and whip until the mixture holds stiff peaks and the volume has doubled.

To assemble the roulade, unroll the cake, and – making sure the cake is totally cool – spread it with the blueberry jam and then the lemon curd. Gently re-roll it – this time without the kitchen towel – and affix with a toothpick, if needed. Place the roulade on a platter and frost with the whipped cream frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Decorate with fresh berries, more confectioners’ sugar and lemon peel.

Anne Mahle of Rockland is the author of “Sugar and Salt: A Year at Home and at Sea.” She blogs at athomeatsea.com and can be reached at:

chefannie@mainewindjammer.com