Lemon/lime posset

I have these teeny, tiny glasses my mom bought for me years ago. (I think she bought them as tea glasses, but they may actually be for Irish coffee!) They're way too small for tea, but oh so perfect for an individually sized dessert!

I'd been wanting to make this dessert—a lemon posset—for a while. But it wasn't until Andy came home with heavy cream instead of buttermilk (hahaha) that I finally had an excuse to try it.

It's basically just cream with lemon and sugar, but the way you cook it down the citrus turns the cream into a custard that sets up without any eggs or gelatin.

It holds it's shape just enough to put some berries on top, but it's ohhhhh soooooo creamy and silky smoooooooth.

I didn't have enough lemon on hand, so I tried it with lime, which worked perfectly! It also tasted *exactly* like a key lime pie! But with more of a pudding-like texture. So I thought these little tea biscuits would be the perfect partner. Luckily I was right. :)

So if you're looking for an easy, individual-sized dessert you can prep in advance and wow your guests (and their tastebuds), look no further!

Buen provecho,
Jacqueline

Lemon (or Lime) Posset, from Cooks Illustrated
Note: The recipe halves very well (that's actually how I made it). Just cut all the ingredients in half and cook the mixture down to 1 cup. Cooking the custard down to the right volume is important, otherwise the custard may not set up properly. During boiling you should transfer the liquid to a measuring cup once or twice to monitor the amount. Finally, it is important to portion the dessert into individual servings for it to set up properly. This may sound like a lot of notes, but I promise it's a very easy dessert!

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream

⅔ cup (4 ⅔ oz) granulated sugar

1 TBSP grated lemon (or lime) zest

6 TBSP lemon (or lime) juice (from ~2 lemons)

For serving

1 ½  cups blueberries or raspberries

Tea biscuit, optional

Directions

1. Combine cream, sugar, and zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Don't walk away at this time, as the cream can boil over if unattended. If it does begin to boil over, simply remove it from the heat until it settles down and return to stove. Cook until the mixture is reduced to 2 cups. This may take approximately 8 to 15 minutes (but go by volume, not time, even if it takes you longer).


2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the lemon (or lime) juice. Let the mixture sit, without stirring, until cooled slightly and skin forms on top, about 20 minutes.


3. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or large measuring cup; discard the zest.


4. Divide the mixture evenly among 6 individual ramekins (or small bowls, cups, etc). 


5. Refrigerate, uncovered, for around 3 hours, or until set. Once chilled, possets can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for a few days. (The original recipe said 2 days, but I had one of mine in the fridge for around 5 days!) 


6. Before serving, unwrap and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Top with berries, a cookie, and enjoy!