Possets have got to be the simplest desserts ever but, to me, they certainly rank right up there with the best of them.
Why do I love them so much? Because you can whip them up in an incredibly short amount of time, they’re fail-safe, and they are both sublimely silky and deliciously tangy. They’re also light on the stomach and are therefore the perfect dessert to complete the Saturday (or Sunday) roast.
I’ve made possets loads of times now – alternating between the classic Lemon Posset; and its berry-licious cousin, the Lemon Berry Posset, but this one, dare I say it, is better still with its combination of Lemon, Limoncello and Raspberries. Yep, it really is perfection. And, can I say, that if you’re not keen on adding liqueur to your desserts, I can assure you the Limoncello simply serves to complement the lemon flavour, rather than dominate it.
This delightful little dessert came into being this very morning. Saturday nights are roast nights in my family and I realised on waking up (far too early), thanks to the Tuis in the tree outside my window, that I still hadn’t sorted pudding for tonight.
It didn’t take long to decide that a lemon posset was the easiest option, so it was off to the supermarket as soon as they opened, to buy some lemons and cream. Then it was back home to start making it and it was while I was rummaging about trying to find what I needed amongst unwashed dishes from the night before, that I noticed some barely used home-made Limoncello sitting in the cupboard and some frozen raspberries in the freezer. Bingo… my simple lemon posset just got sexier.
Suffice it to say, if you want to combine a ridiculously quick and easy dessert with one that ticks all the boxes for taste and presentation, you really can’t go much further than this one. Enjoy!
LEMON, LIMONCELLO & RASPBERRY POSSETS
Ingredients
- About 6 frozen raspberries per ramekin or more as you prefer
- 2.5 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla essence or 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- Grated rind and juice of 2 good sized lemons (I used 3 smaller ones)
- 5-6 tbsp limoncello liqueur, or to taste
Instructions
- Divide the frozen raspberries between 6 ramekins.
- Place the cream, caster sugar, vanilla (or vanilla bean and seeds), into a saucepan and bring to a steady simmer over a low heat (stir to ensure the sugar dissolves). Simmer for 5 minutes (an important step for the custard to set).
- Remove from heat and whisk in the grated rind, lemon juice and Limoncello liqueur. Taste at this point to check you’re happy with the flavour and adjust as needed.
- Strain into a large pouring jug then pour over the berries in the ramekins and cool. You’ll notice some of the berries bob up to the top – this is perfectly normal.
- Chill overnight, or at least 6 hours, until set firm.
- Serve the chilled custards as they are, or with piped cream.
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