Easy Lemon Posset Recipe
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Pucker up! With spring just around the corner, I think it’s time for a lemon appreciation post! 🍋 This citrus custard is bound to brighten your day! My Lemon Possets are bright, creamy, punchy and vibrant and embody sunshine on a plate. This popular British dessert consists of 3 ingredients, comes together in under 20 minutes and couldn’t be easier to make. There’s beauty in simplicity, and this Lemon Posset recipe exudes elegance without all the effort!
When life gives you lemons, make my Easy Lemon Posset recipe. This dessert uses ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and refrigerator. Lemons, whipping cream and a few spoonfuls of sugar combine to create this bold, posh and lemony treat. This recipe uses lemons in 2 ways: freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. Freshly squeezed lemon juice gives this dessert its acidic, sour and tart flavour profile while also acting as a thickening agent. Unlike a lemon curd, pudding or mousse, which rely on cornstarch, eggs or gelatin to help them thicken and set, the acid in the lemon juice interacts with the hot cream and sugar mixture and causes the custard to set when chilled.
Add a little zest to your life! Lemon zest is rich in fragrant and aromatic essential oils. When heated, it infuses the custard with a sweet yet intense lemon flavour and floral aroma. The lemon zest is added to a saucepan or pot alongside some whipping cream and granulated sugar. Whipping cream is an essential ingredient in any posset recipe! It’s higher fat content yields a custard that is glossy, thick and velvety. If you try to substitute it for a lower fat dairy option, such as table cream, half & half, whole milk or 2%, you’ll be left with possets that fail to set. The ingredients are brought to a simmer (or small bubbles) and cooked until thickened. Avoiding boiling the mixture! Boiling the cream can cause the fat to separate, leading to curdling. It can also cause the cream to boil over the saucepan, resulting in a bit of a hot mess!
Once cooked, the hot custard is removed from the heat. Lemon juice is added to the mix and whisked until fully incorporated. Adding the lemon juice once the custard is cooked prevents it from breaking and preserves the lemony flavour. The mixture is then strained over a bowl, using a fine meshed sieve. This process filters out the lemon zest, leaving you with a glossy, silky and smooth consistency. If you don’t mind a little extra texture from the lemon zest, then skip this step. Once the Lemon Posset custard has slightly cooled, pour it into ramekins and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set. Once set, enjoy as is or garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves. Serve and enjoy!
When the cravings hit, keep it simple with this quick and easy recipe! This dessert is full of big lemon flavour without being overly sweet. If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, then you’ve got to try my Lemon Posset recipe. This lemony treat is quite the showstopper: it’s effortless, elegant, heavenly and perfect for any event! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
For more fun and exciting citrus-based recipes, try my Citrus Salad, Roasted Asparagus with Lemons, Pasta al Limone, Baked Salmon with Citrus and Fennel, Glazed Lemon Loaf, Lemon Poppyseed Muffins, Blueberry Lemon Muffins (Gluten-Free), Paloma and Limoncello Spritz recipes!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 14 – 16 minutes
Total Time: 134 – 136 minutes (includes 2 hour and 15 minutes of inactive time for setting)
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2 cups (473 mL) 35% whipping cream
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ Tbsp lemon zest (approx. 3 lemons) (See Notes below)
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx. 2 ½ lemons) (See Notes below)
Fresh berries, such as blackberries, blueberries or raspberries, as garnish
Mint leaves, as garnish
Instructions:
Set aside 6 medium ramekins, measuring 2 ½ inches in diameter with a ½ cup capacity.
To a medium saucepan or pot, add the whipping cream, sugar, and lemon zest.
Bring the mixture to a simmer (or small bubbles) over medium heat, stirring throughout. This process should take about 8 minutes.
Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for an additional 6 – 8 minutes, stirring throughout, or until the mixture has slightly reduced and thickened. You should be left with about 2 cups of liquid once cooked.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the lemon juice and whisk until combined.
Set a fine meshed sieve over a large, heatproof bowl. Carefully pour the Lemon Posset mixture over the sieve, filtering out any lemon zest. Remove the sieve and set the mixture aside to cool for 15 minutes.
Pour or ladle the Lemon Posset into the ramekins and transfer them into the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 2 hours or until set.
Garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves and serve and enjoy!
Notes:
Work Smarter, Not Harder when Processing the Lemons: To make the most out of your lemons and protect your hands from the Microplane or zester, zest the lemons before juicing. When zesting a lemon, be mindful to avoid the pith. The pith is the white layer beneath the lemon’s yellow skin. Adding pith to the Posset mixture can ruin the dessert, resulting in an overly bitter custard.
