Lemon Posset

March 14, 2018October 7, 2021 What Jessica Baked Next31 Comments

This elegant English dessert requires only three ingredients to make. Garnish each posset with fresh berries and serve with crumbly shortbread biscuits.

Lemon posset is a popular dessert on many restaurant and pub menus and if I spot lemon posset on a menu I will always pick it over anything else without a second thought!

For something so simple, this stunning dessert wows with its beautiful citrus flavour and luxuriously smooth texture. Possets are no-bake and can be prepared several hours ahead of time.

Today I’m checking back in with this divine lemon posset recipe. This traditional English dessert is a magical concoction of cream, lemons and sugar. Acidity from the lemon is what sets this dessert, without the need for any gelatine. That means this dessert is gluten-free (as long as you serve it with a gluten-free biscuit) and vegetarian.

You might have noticed my absence from the blog. I’ve taken this time away as an opportunity to update some of my older recipes with new photographs like these Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cupcakes, also these Chocolate Fudge Brownies, these Jammy Dodgers and most recently these Chocolate Malt Cupcakes.

I thought about which other recipe in my repertoire I wanted to update and I eventually decided after much deliberation that I would make my favourite lemon posset.

This recipe was originally shared in April 2015.

Lemon posset will take you about ten minutes to prepare and be ready to set in the fridge. The hardest part really is waiting for it to set, but it’s certainly going to be worth the wait! This recipe also doesn’t need any specialist equipment, all you’ll need is a lemon juicer and zester/grater for zesting the lemons, a large saucepan and a spoon for stirring. You can serve your posset in any dish you like. I have used vintage tea cups, glasses and small ramekins, but it’s up to you what you serve them in. Aways remember be creative and put your own twist on anything you make and most importantly, have fun!

Once you’re ready to serve, decorate the tops by garnishing with fresh berries (I love blueberries and raspberries) and serve with homemade shortbread biscuits. Feel free to swap the shortbread for another biscuit of your choice, I think gingernuts would also pair fantastically with this dessert.

These creamy lemon pots will be perfect to welcome the arrival of spring next week, or dessert for Easter Sunday lunch and upcoming St. George’s Day in April, but they’re wonderful for all occasions.

(Makes 6)

Ingredients:

Lemon Posset:

600ml double cream

Zest and juice of 3 lemons

150g caster sugar

Shortbread:

125g unsalted butter, softened

55g caster sugar

180g plain flour

Method:

1. To make the lemon posset: Place the double cream, lemon zest and sugar in a large saucepan and on a medium heat gently bring the mixture up to the boil. Boil for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes take the pan off the heat and stir through the lemon juice. Now sieve the creamy mixture into a jug. Pour into 6 ramekins or small serving dishes/glasses and cover. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight if you want to make these in advance. Serve the lemon posset chilled.

3. To make the shortbread biscuits: Preheat your oven to 190°C / 170°C Fan / 375°F / Gas Mark 5. Cream the softened butter and sugar until smooth. Fold in the flour and mix into a soft dough. Now roll the dough out to approx. 1cm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a biscuit/cookie cutter of your choice, cut the dough into rounds or a shape of your choice. Sprinkle the top of each biscuit with extra caster sugar and then spread the biscuits out evenly on two large baking trays that have been lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Chill the biscuits in the fridge for 20 minutes.

3. Once chilled, bake the shortbread for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Watch the biscuits closely nearing the end of the baking time as they can colour quickly. Allow the biscuits to cool on the trays for a few minutes and then transport them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Recipe Notes:

Refer to this page for conversions.
Be careful when boiling the posset mixture, make sure you’re using a large enough saucepan as this mixture could erupt and boil over if you take your eye off it.
I recommend transferring the posset mixture into a jug when pouring into the serving dishes, this makes sure they’re really clean and neat. Allow the posset to cool a little at room temperature before chilling in the fridge – I left mine for about half an hour before refrigerating.
This shortbread recipe yields approx. 20 biscuits, but this will depend on the size of your biscuit/cookie cutter. If you make smaller biscuits, baking time will be a few minutes less. The baked shortbread biscuits will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up 5 days and the lemon posset will keep for 3 days stored in the fridge.

Lemon posset recipe from The Great British Farmhouse Cookbook, shortbread recipe from BBC Food

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Baking · Cheesecake

Eton Mess Cheesecake {Laura Ashley Blog Feature}

June 17, 2014June 17, 2014 What Jessica Baked Next99 Comments

So a few weeks ago, the lovely people from Laura Ashley contacted me to see if I would like to create a recipe to be featured on their blog. I’ve been really busy with exams, college and with lots of other bits and bobs that I haven’t had enough time to blog and share my recipes and tell you this amazing news. Also, a few days ago I finally bit the bullet and decided to buy my own domain, so you will probably notice this blog address is now whatjessicabakednext.com! But now I’ve finished for the whole Summer I will now be able to post a lot more frequently (which I hope is great news for you!). But back to this post, in particular I was asked to develop a recipe that was an English classic. So as I love dessert, cheesecake and Summer, my most favourite dessert sprung straight to mind. Eton Mess is possibly the most quintessentially ‘English’ dessert out there- so I knew it would fit the bill perfectly. Luscious, fresh Summer berries mixed with whipped cream and crumbled meringue. If that doesn’t sound like the most perfect dessert, then I don’t know what does! And as I’m the world’s biggest cheesecake fan, it thought it would be fun to combine my two favourite desserts. This cheesecake tastes amazing, it’s light, summery and very decadent with the fruit and meringue topping. And a definite popular dessert recipe for any occasion. Enjoy guys!

I’ve used my favourite baked cheesecake recipe. I like to use ricotta in the cheesecake mix and I’ve also added some lemon zest and juice to give the cheesecake extra Summer-y flavour. A crumbly, sweet digestive biscuit base is followed by a smooth, creamy layer of lemony ricotta mix and then topped off with a drizzle of fresh raspberry sauce, crumbled meringue and chopped fresh strawberries. This recipe is great for any occasion and it’s sure to be enjoyed by anyone who tries a slice. Also, the ‘traditional’ Eton Mess uses either raspberries or strawberries, but as I LOVE both fruits I decided to combine both into this amazing dessert!

Ingredients-

Base-

250g of digestive biscuits, crushed

100g of unsalted butter, melted

Filling- (Note: have both cream cheeses at room temperature)

600g of full-fat soft cream cheese

250g of Italian ricotta

3 large free-range eggs

Zest from 2 large lemons + juice from 3

200g of caster sugar

Raspberry coulis-

300g of frozen or fresh raspberries

1 heaped tbsp of icing sugar

2 tbsp of each lemon juice and water

(To make coulis- place all ingredients listed in saucepan, boil for 5 minutes, then pass through a sieve into a bowl. Cover and place in fridge for a few hours or overnight to thicken).

To decorate-

Fresh strawberries, sliced- I used approx. 300g of strawberries

Crumbled meringue pieces- use as much as you like

Method-

1. Start by making the base: Crush the biscuits until you have fine crumbs- you can do this in a food processor or in a disposable bag with a rolling pin. Mix the biscuit crumbs into the melted butter. Press down into a 23cm springform cheesecake tin and make sure it’s really well compact. Place in the fridge whilst you make the filling.

2. For the filling: Mix the ricotta, cream cheese lemon zest and juice, eggs and caster until you have a really smooth mixture. Carefully pour the filling on top of the chilled base. Before baking, fill a deep baking dish with boiling water and place at the bottom of your oven. Bake at 140 degrees C Fan for 1 hour 10 minutes. Once baked, the cheesecake should be set around the outside, but should still have a slight wobble in the centre.

3. Then turn off the oven, leave the oven door open a little and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature. Once fully cooled, cover with some tin foil and place in the fridge to finish setting overnight- this is the vital step to stop the cheesecake top from cracking.

To serve: Once the cheesecake has set overnight it will even more well set and will cut a lot easier- I serve the cheesecake with some raspberry coulis. Then top with strawberries and crumbled meringue.

My Top Tips-

Always fill a baking dish with boiling water and place at the bottom of your preheated oven. This creates a steamy environment in the oven and the cheesecake will bake more evenly.
Once the cheesecake has cooked for the full amount of time, turn off your oven, leave the cheesecake inside with the door ajar. It will slowly cool down to room temperature and won’t crack on top- never put a warm cheesecake straight in the fridge.
When decorating, top with the sauce, crumbled meringue and strawberries just before serving. *Note*: the cheesecake can be made in advance and left in the fridge completely covered for 2 days before decorating with the toppings.

Enjoy this recipe everyone, and do pop over the Laura Ashley Blog to find this recipe! I’ve got some amazing recipes lined up for you all, so watch out for those in the coming weeks!

Baking · Cakes · Cupcakes

Eton Mess Cupcakes

May 10, 2014May 10, 2014 What Jessica Baked Next131 Comments

Eton Mess has to be my all time favourite dessert especially in the Summer months. It’s the kind of dessert that’s the epitome of Summer for me. Sweet fresh strawberries mixed with crumbled meringue and freshly whipped cream. If that doesn’t sound like the MOST heavenly thing on earth, then I don’t know what does! And as I love being creative and experimenting with new recipes, I thought I would combine my favourite all-time Summer dessert into cupcake form! This is a fun, delicious cupcake recipe that will definitely become a hit once you try it! Enjoy everyone and have a great weekend!

Vanilla Sponge Cupcakes-

150g of unsalted butter, really soft

150g of golden caster sugar

Good splash of pure Vanilla extract (approx. 1 tsp)

3 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

150g of self-raising flour, sifted Enough ice cold water, to loosen mixture- A friend of mine gave me this tip- the water makes the cake lighter!

Vanilla Buttercream-

150g of unsalted butter, softened

300g of icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp of vanilla bean paste

Toppings & decoration-

Crumbled Meringue pieces

Fresh Strawberries

Method-

1. To make the cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with paper cases. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs and mix through thoroughly. Now fold in the sifted flour and add just enough water to loosen the mixture a little.

2. Distribute the batter between the cupcake cases- I like to use an ice cream scoop, as this way I know all the cupcakes are the same size and will bake evenly. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until nice and risen and a cake tester comes out completely clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

3. For the buttercream & decoration: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, icing sugar and vanilla. Starting on low speed, cream together for a few seconds, then turn the speed up to medium and beat the mixture for 5 minutes until light and really creamy and pale in colour. Once the buttercream is ready, fit a piping bag with your favourite nozzle- I went for a large star tip. Then fill the bag with the buttercream. Pipe a nice swirl onto each cupcake, then crumble over a little meringue and finish with a fresh strawberry.

ENJOY!