Lemon Posset

Dessert | British

Prep time: 4 min Cook time: 35 min Servings: 4

Lemon posset is one of the simplest desserts you can make and one of the most impressive. Three ingredients: cream, sugar and lemon. The acid in the lemon juice does all the work of setting it. No gelatine, no eggs, no water bath. You heat the cream with sugar and lemon zest, stir in the strained juice, pour it into glasses and refrigerate. That’s it. The science is simple: the citric acid reacts with the fat in the cream to form a loose, silky gel. What you get out of it is a dessert that feels far more refined than the effort that went into it.

The raspberry granita and charred pineapple take it somewhere more interesting. The granita is icy and sharp against the rich posset, and the pineapple brings a sweet, caramelised char that rounds everything out. Both can be done completely ahead of time. The granita needs to go in the freezer the day before, and the posset sets overnight in the fridge. On the day, all you’re doing is grilling the pineapple and assembling the glasses. It’s a proper make-ahead summer dessert and one of my favourites to serve when I want something that looks like I worked a lot harder than I did.

Ingredient Notes

Double cream: The fat content in the cream is what makes the posset set. The acid from the lemon juice reacts with the fat proteins to form a gel, which is why you need double cream at around 48% fat. Thickened cream or heavy cream at around 35% fat will work but the set will be noticeably softer. Single cream or anything lower won’t set properly.

Lemons: You need both the zest and the juice here, so use fresh, unwaxed lemons where you can. The zest goes into the cream while it heats, which infuses the fat with the aromatic oils and gives the posset a deeper lemon flavour than juice alone. The recipe targets 125ml of strained juice from 2 lemons. Some lemons are juicier than others, so have a third on standby just in case. Getting the juice volume right matters: too little and the posset won’t set firmly enough, too much and it can split.

Frozen raspberries: Frozen raspberries are actually better than fresh for the granita. Freezing and thawing breaks down the cell walls and releases more juice, which gives you a more intensely flavoured and better-coloured puree. Thaw them fully before processing so the puree is as liquid as possible. Press it firmly through a fine sieve to remove all the seeds before combining with the syrup. A seedy granita is unpleasant to eat and the sieving step is worth the extra few minutes.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Medium saucepan (for posset)
Saucepan (for granita syrup)
Fine mesh sieve
Food processor or blender
Glasses or ramekins (for posset)
Shallow baking dish (approx. 20 x 30cm)
Fork (for scraping granita)
BBQ grill or griddle pan
Tongs

Ingredients

½ pineapple, peeled
Posset
110g (½ cup) caster sugar
500ml (2 cups) double cream
zest and juice of 2 lemons
Granita
110g (½ cup) caster sugar
300ml water
300g frozen raspberries, thawed
juice of 1 lemon

Directions

Posset
Combine the sugar, cream and lemon zest in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes just to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Strain the lemon juice (you should have 125ml/½ cup) then mix through the cream until smooth. Divide mixture between 4 serving bowls or glasses and refrigerate for 4 hours, but ideally overnight.
Granita
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
Process the raspberries and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Press the puree through a fine sieve and discard the seeds.
Combine the puree and the cooled syrup, then pour into a shallow baking dish 20 x 30cm. Freeze for 2 hours, or until partially solid.
Use a fork to scrape across the surface starting at the edges and roughly break up the mixture. Return to the freezer then repeat the process 2 more times, every 30 minutes, then freeze until firm.
Grill the pineapple
Preheat the BBQ grill over high heat. Cut the pineapple into 2cm thick slices.
Grill the pineapple for 5-6 minutes on each side until you have a really good charr. Transfer to a tray to cool completely.
Assemble and serve
Chop the pineapple into small pieces. Sprinkle a few spoonfuls of pineapple over the tops of each lemon possets.
Scrape the granita with a fork one last time to break up the crystals again, then spoon over the top of the pineapple. Serve immediately.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Measure the lemon juice after straining

The posset sets because of the ratio of acid to fat. Too little lemon juice and it won’t gel properly; too much and the cream can split or the posset will taste harsh. The recipe calls for 125ml of strained juice, which is the sweet spot for this amount of cream and sugar. Strain the juice through a sieve before measuring, not after estimating from the fruit. Different lemons vary a lot in how much juice they hold, so always measure rather than estimate by the number of lemons.

Scrape the granita at least twice for the best texture

The first scrape at around 2 hours breaks up the initial freeze and creates the layered crystal structure that makes a granita light and flaky rather than a solid block of ice. After the second freeze, scrape again just before serving to break up any large crystals that have reformed. Work quickly with a fork, starting at the edges where it freezes hardest first. The granita should look like coarse, fluffy shards of ice, not slush and not a solid slab.

Storage

Cover the posset glasses tightly with plastic wrap so the posset doesn’t absorb fridge smells. It keeps well for up to 3 days. The granita keeps in the freezer for up to a week. Scrape again with a fork before serving as it will have frozen solid. The charred pineapple can be stored in the fridge for 2 days and served at room temperature.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, and you should. The posset needs at least 4 hours to set in the fridge, overnight is better. The granita needs at least 4 hours in the freezer, also ideally overnight. The pineapple can be grilled a couple of hours ahead and served at room temperature. On the day of serving, all you need to do is grill the pineapple and assemble.

Can I freeze the posset? No. The posset will crystallise in the freezer and lose its smooth, creamy set. It’s a fridge-only dessert. Make it 1 to 2 days ahead, cover tightly, and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and serve.

Can I use a different fruit for the granita? Yes. Strawberries, watermelon, or passionfruit all work well in place of raspberries. Just make sure to strain the puree thoroughly to remove seeds or fibres before freezing. The syrup ratio stays the same regardless of which fruit you use.