lemon & earl grey possets

a lush dessert for two, October 2023

possets are a fascinating dish in that they rely totally on the chemical reaction between the cream and lemon juice to set - no gelatine (like panna cotta), no egg (like creme brulee), and no cornstarch!

serves two

ingredients

150mL cream

2 earl grey teabags

40g caster sugar

1 lemon, zested and juiced

method

add the cream (150mL) and teabags (2) to a small saucepan over low heat to infuse for 10-15 minutes

meanwhile, zest and juice the lemon (1) and measure out 30mL (1.5 tbsp) of the lemon juice

add the caster sugar (40g) to the cream and stir over medium heat until the sugar is totally dissolved (about 2-3 minutes) and mixture is just below boiling

remove from the heat and stir through all the lemon zest, and 30mL of the lemon juice

let sit for 2-3 minutes, then strain out the teabag and lemon zest

pour into 2 ramekins (or lemon halves, if you feel super cute) and transfer to the fridge to set, at least 3 hours

variations

allegedly, any fruit juice can be turned into a posset by using citric acid (in solution) to lower the pH level to around 2.4 (the same as lemon juice). stay tuned to see if I buy a pH meter and test this one out!

some flavour pairing ideas:

lime posset: limes are around the same pH level as lemons, so can be substituted one for one. this would be great with toasted coconut flakes on top

cherry & almond: sour cherry juice & almond essence

lemon & fig leaf: infuse a fresh fig leaf into the cream for 24hr prior

passionfruit & ube: strained passionfruit puree & ube extract