Lemon Posset
A tangy and refreshing dessert with a silky-smooth texture — perfect for hot summer days.
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Estimated Time
- Preparing 5 min
- Cooking 10 min
Nutritions / Serving
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Energy460 kCal
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Carbs32 g
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Protein0 g
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Fat40 g
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Lemon Posset
- Whipping Cream 240 g
- Granulated Sugar 45 g
- Lemon Zest 2 g
- Lemon Juice 45 g
Grapefruit Posset
- Whipping Cream 240 g
- Granulated Sugar 45 g
- Grapefruit Zest 3 g
- Grapefruit Juice 45 g
- Citric Acid 1.2 g
Zest the lemon or grapefruit, and juice the fruit. If making the grapefruit version, mix the citric acid into the grapefruit juice until fully dissolved.
In a small saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, and zest. Heat over medium heat until it reaches a boil, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar.
Once boiling, reduce to medium-low and continue simmering for 5–8 minutes, until the mixture is reduced to about 220–230 grams.
Remove from heat and stir in the lemon or grapefruit juice while continuously whisking. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the zest.
Pour into containers and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours until fully set.
Discussion
The white pith of a lemon isn’t particularly bitter, but it also carries little flavor, so you don’t need to be too cautious when zesting. Grapefruit pith, on the other hand, is quite bitter — try to zest only the outermost layer.
This dessert sets due to the coagulation of casein in the cream caused by the citric acid in the juice. The fat content in cream prevents large curds from forming, resulting in a smooth, delicate texture. The cream must contain at least 45–50% fat, which is achieved by boiling to reduce its water content.
Lemon juice naturally contains enough citric acid to set the reduced cream. Grapefruit juice has about half the citric acid of lemon juice. Since 45g of lemon juice contains about 2.5g citric acid, 1.2g citric acid is added when using grapefruit.
The reduction step doesn’t need to be exact — less remaining liquid yields a thicker, richer posset, while more remaining liquid makes it lighter. But if it’s too watery, it may not set properly.