James Martin's lemon posset recipe (2024)

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James Martin's lemon posset recipe (1)

Nothing could be easier than lemon posset - it's cream, sugar and lemon juice, stirred together. But doesn't it look fancy? Add crunch with cute lemon thumbprint biscuits on the side.

Preparation time

over 2 hours

Serves

Serves 6

Dietary

Ingredients

For the posset

For the lemon shortbread

How-to-videos

Method

  1. For the posset, place the double cream and the sugar into a large pan over a low heat and bring to the boil slowly. Boil for three minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

  2. Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk well.

  3. Pour the lemon cream mixture into six large serving glasses and refrigerate for three hours.

  4. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.

  5. For the shortbread, sift the icing sugar, flour and cornflour together into a bowl and add the ground almonds.

  6. Transfer the flour mixture to a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until there are no visible lumps of butter.

  7. Add the almond essence. Pulse again, then turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and bring together to form a smooth dough.

  8. Grease a muffin tray with butter.

  9. Divide the dough up and roll into small balls. Place the balls into the muffin cups, flattening the tops slightly with your fingers. The dough should come about one third of the way up the side of each muffin cup to give a nice proportion to the finished biscuit.

  10. Transfer to the oven and bake the shortbreads for 8-12 minutes, until they are a light golden colour.

  11. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then, using your thumb, make a small indentation into the top of each biscuit.

  12. Let the shortbreads cool for a few minutes, then turn the mould over and tap the shortbreads out. (Be gentle, as the biscuits are fragile while they are still warm.)

  13. When all the shortbreads are baked and cooled, dust the tops with icing sugar. Fill the indentations in the biscuits with lemon curd.

  14. To serve, place the lemon possets onto plates with a shortbread alongside. Sprinkle a little lemon zest on top, if you want.

How-to videos

James Martin's lemon posset recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my lemon posset runny? ›

It sounds like your problem is most likely lack of acid. The acid is what causes possets to thicken. That could happen because the lemons aren't acidic enough (maybe the ones you had the first time were more sour).

What is lemon posset made of? ›

Nothing could be easier than lemon posset - it's cream, sugar and lemon juice, stirred together. But doesn't it look fancy?

Does lemon posset contain egg? ›

Lush but light, lemon posset is a creamy dessert that sidesteps all of the usual requirements of a custard. It contains no eggs nor starch nor gelatin.

Where did lemon posset come from? ›

So, what is lemon posset (pronounced paa·suht)? It originates from Great Britain and goes back a few hundred years as it started as a warm drink. Milk was curdled with ale, cider or sherry and was said to have restorative properties.

How do you thicken possets? ›

Cover and place the posset into the fridge for at least 1 hour to set and thicken. They will get thicker the longer you leave them in the fridge to set. I like mine to set for 2-3 hours. They're best eaten within 24 to 36 hours.

Why did my posset split? ›

If you have either not enough buffers (fat and sugar) or happen to have an extraordinarily sour lemon, you will get curdling. The recipe I linked also suggests partly evaporating the cream, which will be further help against curdling, but it should work without it too.

Is posset the same as panna cotta? ›

Both posset and panna cotta are cream-based desserts, but there is a key difference between the two. Whereas panna cotta uses gelatin to thicken and set, posset relies entirely on the citric acid found in lemon juice and other citrus fruits.

What are the benefits of posset? ›

Benefits of Posset Tablet

Posset 4 mg/500 mg/5 mg Tablet is a combination medicine that effectively relieves symptoms of common cold such as blocked nose, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, and congestion or stuffiness.

How old is lemon posset? ›

In 14th and 15th century cookery manuals, a possibly-related word, spelled variously "possenet", "postnet", or "posnet", is used to mean a small pot or saucepan. In 16th-century and later sources, possets are generally made from lemon or other citrus juice, cream and sugar. Eggs are often added.

How long will posset keep in the fridge? ›

How long does lemon posset last? As long as the lemon posset is kept in the fridge it can last up to three days. You can even freeze lemon posset – just make sure to defrost for several hours before serving.

How many carbs are in a lemon posset? ›

Easy lemon posset
NutrientUnit
kcal843
fat68g
saturates39g
carbs55g
4 more rows

How would you describe a posset? ›

posset noun [C or U] (FOOD)

a sweet food made from milk or cream with other things such as sugar, lemon, or wine added to it: For dessert we had lemon posset.

What happens when you squeeze lemon in milk? ›

LEMON CURDLES WARM MILK. When you add lemon juice to warm milk, a chemical reaction takes place due to the presence of acid in the lemon juice. The acid in the lemon juice, which is primarily citric acid, causes the milk to curdle. This reaction is similar to what happens when you make homemade cheese or buttermilk.

What is it called when you add lemon to milk? ›

Thus, milk curdles when lemon juice is added. This is coagulation. Thus, the correct answer is option (B) coagulation. Note:Curdling of milk occurs by treating the milk with enzymes or by simply letting the milk age for a long time.

What is a posset cup? ›

noun. : a 2-handled usually covered and spouted vessel used especially in the 17th and 18th centuries for possets and invalid feeding.

How do you fix runny lemon bars? ›

Runny lemon bars - This is a common issue for people who are making lemon bars for the first time. Usually, it just means that you need to bake your bars longer. If your bars seem to brown at the edges, you can cover them with aluminum foil and turn down the heat.

How do you fix runny lemon curd? ›

How to fix it: To thicken runny lemon curd, put the curd back into your saucepan, place over the lowest possible heat, and stir constantly. The curd will thin out at first as the butter melts, but it will eventually begin to thicken back up.

Why is my lemon tart runny? ›

Why is my lemon tart runny? If your lemon tart is runny, the mostly likely cause is not cooking the filling long enough. It should be nicely thickened when you pull it off the stove.

Why does a posset set? ›

Both posset and panna cotta are cream-based desserts, but there is a key difference between the two. Whereas panna cotta uses gelatin to thicken and set, posset relies entirely on the citric acid found in lemon juice and other citrus fruits.

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