Lemon Posset: my first attempt at blogging a dessert
Hello!
Firstly, let me be the last person to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, or the first, whichever way round you want to look at it. I have a dessert (say whaaaaaat) for you guys to try, so simple that you need only be able to heat something up and stir it. Onwaaaards!
Lemon Posset
So, what is a posset? Technically it is a semi-set lemon cream. Which in large quantities, as I found out on New Year's day, is deadly and can make you feel like the Sperm Whale that exploded on that YouTube video everyone was posting. See link below for details...(not for animal lovers, probably)
Anyway
Serves 4 (on paper, most likely serves 6-8)
Ingredients
575ml double cream, NOT Elmea light this time (you can see where this is going... :-x)
175g caster sugar
75ml lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons
8-12 Thyme leaves
Berry compote:
300g mixed berries (raspberries and blueberries are a delight with this one)
125g caster sugar
Important things:
Weights and measures: for the posset to set properly, please use the exact measures I have provided. I do these things for a reason, you know.
Timings: again, I say this for a reason. Corner cutters will be shot.
Compote first:
Put the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan until it starts to dissolve over a low-medium heat. Once this has formed a light caramel (I mean like the colour of a milky-English cup of tea, at its darkest) add the berries and stir continuously until the berries burst and release their juices. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely before transferring to the fridge. Simple, right?
Posset:
This is where things get slightly complicated. Okay, I lied. This is the simplest, least complicated thing I will ever ask you to do. Ever.
Put the double cream in a heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil for 30 seconds exactly. Then add all the lemon juice, zest, Thyme leaves and sugar at once and bring back to the boil. Boil for 30 seconds whilst stirring in with a whisk. Don't over beat but keep it moving until you see the sugar streaks dissolve. Bring off the heat and pass through a sieve to take out the thyme leaves. Keep stirring the posset as it cools to release the heat quicker; this will speed up this process considerably. Transfer to "4" (by 4, I mean 6-8) glasses and wrap in clingfilm, set in the fridge to set overnight. Do te transferring carefully or you'll end up with nasty-looking streaky posset stains all over the glasses. Trust me, no one wants to see that.
To serve
Take off the cling film, take a spoonful of compote (or enough to cover the surface) and place on top. Serve and eat with a teaspoon.
This dessert is great for those who don't want the dense heavy feeling of chocolate and love the fresh taste of citrus. It's a real winner on most fronts, just don't get greedy and end up like this guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X0hq0ug9q4
Firstly, let me be the last person to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, or the first, whichever way round you want to look at it. I have a dessert (say whaaaaaat) for you guys to try, so simple that you need only be able to heat something up and stir it. Onwaaaards!
Lemon Posset
So, what is a posset? Technically it is a semi-set lemon cream. Which in large quantities, as I found out on New Year's day, is deadly and can make you feel like the Sperm Whale that exploded on that YouTube video everyone was posting. See link below for details...(not for animal lovers, probably)
Anyway
Serves 4 (on paper, most likely serves 6-8)
Ingredients
575ml double cream, NOT Elmea light this time (you can see where this is going... :-x)
175g caster sugar
75ml lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons
8-12 Thyme leaves
Berry compote:
300g mixed berries (raspberries and blueberries are a delight with this one)
125g caster sugar
Important things:
Weights and measures: for the posset to set properly, please use the exact measures I have provided. I do these things for a reason, you know.
Timings: again, I say this for a reason. Corner cutters will be shot.
Compote first:
Put the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan until it starts to dissolve over a low-medium heat. Once this has formed a light caramel (I mean like the colour of a milky-English cup of tea, at its darkest) add the berries and stir continuously until the berries burst and release their juices. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely before transferring to the fridge. Simple, right?
Posset:
This is where things get slightly complicated. Okay, I lied. This is the simplest, least complicated thing I will ever ask you to do. Ever.
Put the double cream in a heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil for 30 seconds exactly. Then add all the lemon juice, zest, Thyme leaves and sugar at once and bring back to the boil. Boil for 30 seconds whilst stirring in with a whisk. Don't over beat but keep it moving until you see the sugar streaks dissolve. Bring off the heat and pass through a sieve to take out the thyme leaves. Keep stirring the posset as it cools to release the heat quicker; this will speed up this process considerably. Transfer to "4" (by 4, I mean 6-8) glasses and wrap in clingfilm, set in the fridge to set overnight. Do te transferring carefully or you'll end up with nasty-looking streaky posset stains all over the glasses. Trust me, no one wants to see that.
To serve
Take off the cling film, take a spoonful of compote (or enough to cover the surface) and place on top. Serve and eat with a teaspoon.
This dessert is great for those who don't want the dense heavy feeling of chocolate and love the fresh taste of citrus. It's a real winner on most fronts, just don't get greedy and end up like this guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X0hq0ug9q4
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