- Serves6
- CourseDessert
- Prepare20 mins
- Cook10 mins
- Total time30 mins
- Pluschilling
Ingredients
- 6 unwaxed lemons
- 450ml double cream
- 125g caster sugar
- Mint leaves, to serve
- Shortbread, to serve
Method
Using a vegetable peeler, peel 2 small strips from each lemon, then put them into a medium saucepan.
Cut the lemons in half lengthways, then use a teaspoon (or a serrated grapefruit spoon) to remove the flesh, leaving the white pith and skins untouched.
Place the flesh into a bowl, use a potato masher or fork to squeeze the juice out, then strain into a jug.
Pour the cream into the saucepan with the lemon strips, add the sugar and heat on low for 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sugar granules dissolve and the mixture is no longer grainy (try not to let it boil).
Lift out the lemon peel and discard. Measure 90ml (6 tbsp) lemon juice, add to the mix and stir well – the cream should start to thicken slightly. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then divide between 6 x 125ml ramekins, glasses or teacups. Cool, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days.
Serve with a mint leaf garnish and the shortbread on the side.
Cook’s tip
Leftover lemon juice
This recipe will leave you with leftover lemon juice, but it has plenty of culinary and household uses. Press the juice from the fruit through a sieve, then transfer to a sterilised bottle and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days for sprinkling into bakes or over fish, or freeze in an ice-cube tray, then decant into a container for use in dressings or sauces. You can also turn it into a zingy lemon curd if you want it to last even longer. See waitrose.com/recipes.
Brûléed lemons
Take this dessert up a notch by sprinkling the top of each lemon with ½ tsp caster sugar. Spread into an even layer, then use a blowtorch to melt and caramelise the sugar. Allow to harden, then serve immediately.
Different vessels
To serve the possets in the lemon shells, pare the strips of peel lengthways from opposite sides of each lemon. When halving them, make sure that the flatter pared area is at the base of each half for stability later. Make the possets as per the recipe. Put a large sheet of crumpled foil into a medium tray or dish, then nestle in all 12 empty lemon halves. Divide the posset between the shells, cool, cover and chill as before to serve 2 shells per person.
Nutritional
Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe
Energy | 1,799kJ/ 434kcals |
|---|---|
Fat | 37.9g |
Saturated Fat | 23.6g |
Carbohydrates | 22.2g |
Sugars | 22.2g |
Fibre | 0g |
Protein | 1.2g |
Salt | 0g |