Silky Lemon Posset British Dessert (Printable version)

A luxuriously smooth British dessert combining heavy cream, sugar, and fresh lemon juice for a perfectly tangy, pudding-like treat.

# Ingredient List:

01 - 2 cups heavy cream

02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar

03 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

04 - 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream and granulated sugar.

02 - Place over medium heat, stirring gently, until the sugar dissolves and the cream just begins to simmer (do not boil).

03 - Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. The mixture will thicken slightly as the acid reacts with the cream.

04 - Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes, then pour into 4 individual serving glasses or ramekins.

05 - Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until set with a silky, pudding-like texture.

06 - Serve chilled, optionally garnished with fresh berries, extra lemon zest, or a shortbread cookie.

01 -

Three simple ingredients transform into something that tastes like it came from a professional kitchen
The chemistry of acid and cream does all the work for you, no gelatin or tricky techniques needed
You can make it ahead and pull it out looking gorgeous at serving time

02 -

Don't be tempted to reduce the sugar, as the precise sugar-to-cream ratio is what makes the posset set properly
The mixture will look quite thin when you pour it into the glasses, which is completely normal
Any slight skin that forms on top is part of the traditional texture, but you can prevent it by pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface if you prefer it perfectly smooth

03 -

Room temperature cream incorporates the sugar more easily, so take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before starting
Grate your zest before juicing the lemons, it's much harder to zest a squeezed lemon
If your posset doesn't set, it likely didn't reach a high enough temperature or your cream wasn't high enough fat content