Around the world with Lemon Posset

 
Lemon Posset

They say that the best recipes are the ones with only a few ingredients and my friend Catty’s recipe for Lemon Posset ticks that box with just three. But even more intriguing is the story she tells of how this delicious dessert went around the world. Last Autumn, Catty embarked on a trip to Canada and New Zealand to visit various relatives. She made a fantastic travelogue entitled ‘Travels on a bucket list’ so her friends back home could keep up with her progress, offer words of encouragement and suggest tips for places they may have visited.

It was catching up with cousin Vivienne, who lives in the hills outside Dannevirke, which reminded Catty of her old Lemon Posset recipe. Vivienne is a keen cook but also a coeliac so her recipes don’t contain gluten. She made a treat for their meal together which she said Catty had made when Vivienne visited the UK in 1977. She made it again as a special memory of both visits. Here is the well-travelled Lemon Posset recipe :

Lemon Posset

600 ml cream

¾ cup caster sugar

Grated rind and juice of 2 lemons

To serve

Whipped cream or

lemon curd

berries

Makes 10-12 servings in small glasses

Place the cream and caster sugar in a small saucepan and stir as it comes to the boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to keep gently boiling and time the mixture for exactly 3 minutes. This timing is very important to the ‘chemistry’ of the recipe. Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated rind and lemon juice. 

Cool, then pour into small glasses. Chill for at least 6-8 hours, or it’s even better if you can make it the night before.

Serve chilled with a small dollop of softly whipped cream/lemon curd and/or berries.

 Syllabub

Posset is very similar to Syllabub from the Georgian era but is thought to be more of a 19th century creation. I’ve made this glorious recipe several times now and my family love it. It’s rich and decadent and wonderfully smooth - one to savour for a special occasion, even to celebrate a family gathering after 50 years at the other side of the world!

This is a shorter version of my piece for  Yorkshire Bylines where you can read more about Catty's travels.