Who says English food is dull? Well, not so many people these days, but back when they did, I found that this classic dessert was one of those recipes I could count on to set the record straight. It’s simple, elegant, and in proper English fashion, it shows off its key ingredients to their very best effect.
550ml double cream
2 lemons
140g castor sugar
4–6 small macaroons or 14 ratafia biscuits
First zest and the juice the lemons. Then, in a heavy-based saucepan, combine the cream, the zest and the sugar. Heat the pan over a low hob for about 10 minutes, just bringing it to a gentle simmer. Allow the cream to cool, stirring from time to time (pretty frequently, in fact!) to stop a skin forming.
In between stirrings, place the macaroons or ratafia biscuits into the bottom of your serving bowl. Then, when the cream is almost cold, add the lemon juice. Watch how it magically thickens and turns wonderfully glossy!
Pour the mixture over the top of the biscuits, put the posset in the fridge over night so that the lemon juice sets the cream, and serve garnished with a couple of sprigs of fresh lavender or, if you’re feeling extravagant, some edible gold dust — you’ll think you’ve found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
