Lemon Posset with Blueberry Gelee

Watch my best lemon posset web story here.

How I Found Out About Possets

My introduction to lemon posset was in 2012 (which is when I originally wrote this post), and I found it in the Food 52 Cookbook and on their website.

I was intrigued by such a simple dessert, and it reminded me a bit of making a lemon meringue or key lime pie filling by mixing lemon or lime juice and sweetened condensed milk together with some egg yolks.

This recipe was one of 140 chosen for the Food 52 Cookbook, and it was submitted to the site by user “MrsLarken.”

Mrslarkin’s original posset recipe called for only three ingredients: cream, sugar and lemon juice. 

I added salt and lemon zest (that gets strained out), and increased the lemon juice slightly to come up with my idea of a perfect lemon posset.

The Difference Between Posset, Pudding, and Panna Cotta

A modern posset (no wine in milk, thanks), is a chilled dessert that sets through the reaction between the milk proteins in the cream and the acid in lemon juice.

If you used whole milk and left out the sugar, you’re basically making a simple cheese.

But rather than separating into curds and whey, the sugar and the high butterfat cream set into a thick, creamy, decidedly un-cheeselike dessert that is simple to make and truly delicious.

Panna cotta generally is set with gelatin, and American puddings are stovetop-made, starch-thickened sweet dairy desserts that may or may not contain eggs.

All three are tasty, but all are decidedly different treats.

How to Make Lemon Posset

These lovely lemon desserts are easy to make, especially because we have science on our side.

They thicken like magic!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• heavy cream: This provides the bulk of the volume of the dessert and plenty of protein and butterfat, protein to denature and set the dessert and fat to keep it from separating into curds and whey
• sugar: Sweetens the mixture and I think it probably also has a role in keeping the cream smooth as it thickens
• salt: Brings all the flavors into focus
• lemon zest: Adds the floral, sweet notes of lemon oil to the dessert (you’ll strain it out before pouring into serving containers)
• lemon juice: Provides the tart/sour lemon flavor as well as setting the dessert as the acid reacts with the proteins in the cream

And for the gelee. It’s optional, but it’s really good:

• blueberries: I love mellow blueberries paired with tart lemon, but you can also substitute raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries or another favorite berry or fruit
• sugar: Sweetens the sauce lightly. You may add more or less than I call for according to your taste and also according to how tart or sweet your fruit is
• salt: Brings all the flavors into focus
• lemon zest: Adds floral, sweet notes to the lemon, “lifting” the flavor a bit
• lemon juice: Just a couple of teaspoons. The lemon juice also helps brighten the flavor of the berries
• instant clear jel (or powdered gelatin): Either helps to thicken and softly set the sauce. If you’d like a pourable sauce, leave the thickeners out

Blueberry Gelee

Since lemon and blueberries go so well together, I made a blueberry gelee to serve with the posset.

Back in 2012, I made it with gelatin, and that’s very tasty, but it also keeps it from being vegetarian.

This time around (May 2023, I used instant clear jel to set the blueberry sauce, and it worked beautifully.

Procedure

Making the Posset

Posset sort of makes itself, or at least it thickens all on its own.

All you have to do is:

1. boil cream, sugar, lemon zest, and salt together for a little while
2. remove from heat, and whisk in lemon juice
3. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, then strain it to get out the lemon zest and pour into serving dishes or glasses

My ramekins hold 4 ounces, which is plenty when you’re making a dessert that is mostly heavy cream!

I strained my posset into a pitcher and then filled the ramekins from the pitcher.

You can serve lemon posset plain, with the blueberry sauce on the side, with a thin layer of blueberry gelee on top or with a couple of spoonfuls swirled in for a marbleized effect.

The choice is yours!

How Thick Does a Posset Get?

You can control how thick your posset gets, to a certain extent, by boiling for a longer or shorter period of time.

What you’re doing when you boil the mixture is allowing some of the water to evaporate while concentrating the sugars, proteins, and fats in the cream.

The longer you boil it, the firmer the set will be.

When making a full recipe, as written, boil for 3 minutes for a softer set or up to about 8 minutes for a firmer set.

If you are making a smaller batch say with one cup of cream, you can get a nice, firm set in about 2-3 minutes of boiling.

A looser posset will have a similar texture to a pot de creme–wobbly but spoonable. A firmer posset is still creamy and lovely, but you can slice it and spoon it up cleanly. Thinks: the texture of a perfect flan.

Making the Gelee

Make the gelee the same way you’d make a fruit sauce. The only difference is adding some thickener.

1. Measure all your ingredients–fruit, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice–into a pan.
2. Heat to a boil, mashing the fruit as they cook.
3. Simmer to thicken slightly, about ten minutes, and then strain the mixture into a bowl to catch all the seeds and skins.
4. Don’t forget to scrape the underside of your strainer to get all the goodness.

To Thicken with Instant Clear Jel or Cornstarch:

If using instant clear jel or cornstarch to thicken, whisk it into the sugar before adding it to the pan and proceed as written.

To Thicken with Gelatin:

Bloom powdered gelatin in 1 Tablespoon cold water until it soaks up all the water.

Once you have finished cooking the fruit puree, add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until completely dissolved.

Continue with the recipe as written.

Sweetening with Sugar Substitutes

I make a LOT of dessert, so sometimes, when feasible, I will use a sugar substitute in place of granulated sugar in custard-type desserts like this.

Do not use Swerve or Monkfruit/Erythritol, because it will crystallize on top once cool.

Either Allulose or BochaSweet work exceedingly well, so feel free to make a sugar-free version of these possets.

And take it from me who has an extremely sensitive palate, I cannot tell the difference between those two sweeteners and actual sugar.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this or any other recipe or post on the site, there are a few ways to get in touch.

You can leave a comment on the post, and I’ll be back in touch within 24 hours.

If your question is more pressing, don’t hesitate to email me, and I should be back in touch within 4 hours (unless I’m asleep) or often much more quickly than that.

A Note About Measurements

This is the kitchen scale that I recommend for home cooks and bakers. Using a scale will help you be more accurate and consistent in your measurements.

It is lightweight, easy to store, accurate, and very easy to use.

I hope you’ve learned something from this post or that you’ve decided to make the recipe.

It would really help me and other readers out if you’d rate the recipe using the star ratings in the recipe card.

It’s also very helpful to me and to other readers if you leave a comment and/or a recipe review.

Thank you so much for being here and for helping others find my recipes by sharing on your social platforms!

Thanks for spending some time with me today, friends.

I really hope you love the lemon posset–such a tasty and easy dessert!

Take care, and have a lovely day.

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