This dessert is so good that I could eat it every day, except that I would soon weigh 400 lbs. But it’s worth making once in a while for a special treat. It’s VERY easy.

On the Internet, I’ve found several recipes for making lemon posset, but I’ve ended up only following the basic rules and coming up with something that works for me.

You’ll need a lemon (the grated rind, and then later we’ll add the juice), some sugar, and whipping cream (not whipped).

 

Measure  two cups of the heavy cream in a big pyrex measuring cup and make sure it is exactly two cups.

Pour it into a saucepan.

Add 3/4 cup of white sugar (don’t skimp on it).

Add the finely grated rind of one lemon.

Stirring constantly, bring the cream mixture to a simmer. Continue to stir to prevent burning, and keep the mixture simmering on a low heat.

Here is where the recipes vary a lot. Some say simmer it for 3 minutes; others say anything up to 22 minutes. I took the middle and simmered the mixture for about 15 minutes, stirring the whole time. Then to check whether the cream has boiled down to the right amount, pour the mixture back into the measuring cup. Having added sugar, we’ve been simmering more than two cups of liquid, so we need to make sure it has been reduced to two cups again. If it is more than two cups, pour it back into the saucepan and let it simmer a bit longer. When you have exactly two cups of liquid, strain the cream mixture into the measuring cup or another bowl if you like. (I prefer the measuring cup because I can pour the liquid into the dessert dishes better from it).  The strainer will take out the bits of lemon rind that you’ve had in the cream mixture for flavour.

Then stir the juice of one large lemon (about 1/3 cup) into the cream mixture.

Let the cream mixture cool for about 15 minutes and then pour it into 6 small ramekins (or into fancier glass containers if you like). Make sure it is cool enough if you are using fine crystal dishes.

Set the dishes in the fridge to chill and set. Later you can add drizzle or toppings of your choice. Fruit works well. In the last one I made, I used a drizzle of blackberry juice thickened with a bit of cornstarch and sugar. Then I added what I had handy – some sliced kiwi and strawberries (these had been frozen because it is the wrong season for fresh strawberries).

If you like fruit on the dessert, you could also use some canned peaches, pears, or cherries. Whatever you have handy and appeals to your taste buds, works fine on this dessert. Use only small amounts. You are trying to add it more as a garnish. It is not meant to be a bowl of fruit.

It may seem that the portions are quite small, dividing the two cups of cream into six servings, but this dessert is so rich that you won’t need more than this amount. You’ll want more, but, trust me, you’ll find that it is enough.

You can chill this dessert in the fridge for a day ahead if necessary, but keep the dishes covered in plastic wrap.

Enjoy!