I first had lemon posset about eight years ago when I was at university. One Sunday whilst working my way through the newspapers I stumbled across a very short recipe for what appeared to be the easiest dessert in the world. Just cream, sugar and lemon juice. What could be easier? I knocked it up a few days later and it was divine (if a little calorific!). After leaving uni I completely forgot about my easy dessert until it popped up as one of the dessert options when we were choosing our wedding menu last year. Of course I pounced upon it and seduced Dave with descriptions of thick, voluptuous, tangy and refreshing cream until he agreed that it would be a good way to finish the meal. Our caterers served it with a blueberry compote on top which made for a beautiful colour contrast as well as a winning taste combination. I’m told that it’s also great with a strawberry coulis on top (Dave exerted his groom’s perogative to have something other than blueberries!)
Posset is a very old English dish. According to Alan Davidson’s excellent “Oxford Companion to Food” it was originally a medieval drink made from milk lightly curdled by adding an acid liquid such as wine, ale or citrus juice to it. As time passed posset became a much richer dish containing cream and eggs. Eventually it developed into early forms of trifle and syllabubs.
After going through so many changes over the years, posset seems to be enjoying a small revival. I’ve seen it on quite a few restaurant menus in recent years and it’s even appeared in a few ccookbooks. Long may the revival continue!
Lemon Posset
Serves 2
284ml carton of double cream
75g caster sugar
2 medium lemons, juice of
Serve with your choice of blueberry compote; strawberry coulis; fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar; or biscuits for dipping.
Pour cream and sugar into a small saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Once boiling cook for a further three minutes, still stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and pour in half the lemon juice whilst stirring the mixture thoroughly. It should start to thicken instantly. Taste the mixture and if its not quite tart enough for your tastes then put a little more juice in. It should be nice and tangy but still very rich.
Allow the posset to cool for approximately five minutes and then pour into two glasses. The posset will start to visibly thicken as it hits the cool glass. Cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours. The posset should be quite firmly set when you come to serve it.
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Hi, I am a chef – we did this for a wedding last September – but it cancelled! We were going to put space dust on top as a contrast – the bride’s idea. I am going to try this recipe as I don’t have a recipe for it at the moment.
Nice site
Colin
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This looks delicious and sounds like such an elegant way to end a wedding meal. Rich and creamy, but light with the fresh lemon flavor. It’s amazing something this good is so seemingly easy to make.
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What a gorgeous, elegant and delicious-sounding dessert! And so simple, too! Hmmm….I might have to make some of this soon…yum.
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hi Angela,
I’ve never heard of posset before, and it sounds so elegant… and looks gorgeous!
what a refreshingly different dessert for your wedding.
much as I love blueberries, i think I may just be tempted to sprinkle grated dark chocolate over mine ; ) if I’m going to have a rich dessert, I might as well go all the way, right? : p
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Hi Linda – it’s all that and more
It made a nice change from the usual wedding desserts too!
Hi Jennifer – definitely give it a go! It’s barely cooking
Very handy for dinner parties where you’re doing something really fiddly for the main course…
Hi Renee – Chocolate? I have to say that this is one instance where I don’t think chocolate would work… it just doesn’t seem right. Perhaps those chocolate/wafer cigar biscuits would be nice dipped into the posset. Still not sure though. You’ll have to try it and let me know
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Hi Angela, I tried your recipe using Bulla’s thickened cream. Is that the same as Double Cream? Something’s not right. They are still in the fridge.
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Hi there, this is just the recipe I need as I have 4 lemons in my fridge and am looking for a nice way to use them up!
May I ask if whipping cream is alright? Am having trouble finding double cream in this part of the world. Once used full cream as an alternative to double cream, with horrible results! So, want to be extra sure this time round that whipping cream would be fine? Thanks!
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Hi Jolin – I’ve never heard of Bulla’s thickened cream. Does this cream already have thickeners (e.g. gelatin/xantham gum/pectin) added to it? Ok, just had a quick look. If you’re using the thickened cream as opposed to the “double thick cream”, then this does seem to be processed already. Boiling it probably interfered with whatever process was used and therefore the setting of the posset.
Hi Spots – I’ve never tried making posset with whipping cream. However, there are quite a few recipes out there which do use whipping cream. I think the lemon reacts with the milk protein rather than the fat content, so you should be fine with whipping.
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Hi, thanks for your advice on the lemon posset. I used whipping cream and it turned out just fine. In fact, my husband loved it! We’ve been looking for less-rich desserts as I tend to go over the top when it comes to sweet stuff… this was just fine!
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Hi Spots – Yay! I’m SO glad that it turned out well
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This is the best dessert in the whole world!! We have just come back from England and I had this at a great pug in Broadenbery, Devon called the Drew Arms. I came home to Canada and made it with bottled double cream and it was GREAT. The pub gave the recipe and said the trick was to boil it for 3 minutes EXACTLY. Worked for me!!
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Hi Jane – yes, I’d agree about the three minutes. I tried boiling the cream for shorter and longer lengths of time before settling on that. It’s an extremely easy dessert, definitely one of my favourites!
And what is really fantastic is if you add a crunchy topping – mix sugar and lemon rind (or lime rind) together and scatter on top just before serving. it’s divine and this is one of the best desserts.
I just made lemon posset last night and ate it tonight. It worked very well but was watery at the bottom. How can I avoid this in future?
Hello! Wonderful recipe, I used to have it all the time! Now I’ll like to try and cook it but I’m not sure I get it entirely: your pour half the lemon juice in the cream (so,that’s one lemon) and you don’t use the other half (that is, other than for adjusting the sharpness)?
Thank you ever so much
Claire
Going to try this receipe this weekend for someone with diabetes but substituting sweetex for the sugar… we’ll see what happens.
You know what? . . . it’s really nice eaten on it’s own!!!
I did this years ago as the Mail on Sunday did a little lemon recipe pull out. I have also used different citrus seperately and together depending on what I have got in my fruit bowl – grapefruit and lime is also good on a hot summers day!
Just tried posset with a few sliced fresh strawberries on . . . in the restaurant at Sudeley Castle (nr Cheltenham) after our lunch there. Never had it before . . . it was delicious! Have often made another similar old English cold dessert before – syllabub. That’s even easier (no heating involved).
This is one of my favourite desserts, but you really can’t eat too much of it at once, as it’s so rich. Try serving three small possets of different flavours in small glasses in a line looks and tastes great! I once gave it to a couple who came round for dinner, only it was still slightly warm, as it cooled in the stomach you could see people becoming slightly uncomfortable as the cream set.. lovely though!!
I love this site and visit often. I don’t do facebook or twitter but have a blogspot blog. Can I still follow your blog and, if so, how?
hi, I treid lemon posset at work with lemon shortbread and boil/baked oranges with some kind of icing sugar and grated chocolate over the top. they were served in martini glases and looked fantastic. I think imgoing to definatley try this recipe and use it when I go to uni next year.