When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemon Possets!

Lemons. We literally could not live without them. No meal for us is complete without a squeeze of lemon, and adding a touch of the fragrant golden zest lifts and adds freshness to desserts and salad dressings.

But what to do with that bowl full of surplus lemons? Easy-Peasy Lemon Squeezy: make these delightful lemon possets! We love this recipe because it is light and refreshing, creamy and delightfully tart, and because it utilizes the whole lemon, the presentation is so visually stunning.

Now, the preparation of the lemon shells is a little bit fiddly, but the rest of the recipe is a breeze. Trust the process!

We think these possets look stunning served on our Citron Platters 

INGREDIENTS:

400ml Thickened Cream

130g Caster Sugar

60ml Lemon Juice

6-8 Lemons (this is highly variable, try to get medium sized lemons, we love Meyer lemons)

METHOD:

Finely grate the zest of one whole lemon and set aside in a small jug.

Cut the remaining lemons in half lengthwise.

Using a citrus reamer, juice all of the lemons, straining into a bowl, and set aside.

Use a teaspoon to gently remove all of the flesh from inside each lemon half.

Place each lemon half into the basin of a large muffin tray.

Heat the cream and sugar in a small saucepan and stir gently until it comes to the boil. Remove from the heat immediately and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Pour the cooled cream mixture into the jug containing the lemon zest and then very slowly pour in the lemon juice, stirring constantly until all combined.

Pour this mixture into the reserved lemon halves.

Place in the refrigerator to cool and set for at least 4 hours.

 If you want to get fancy you could try:

- The zest of 1/2 a lemon and 1 lime

- Adding a dash of Limoncello to the cream after you take it off the heat (around 1 tablespoon), be careful not to add too much as it can affect the setting

- Adding a sprinkle of raw or demerara sugar to the top of each chilled lemon half and brûlée right before serving to create a golden glass that is very satisfying to crack before digging in

Well, there you have it. This is the perfect no-fuss Summer dish for the hostess with the mostest. Prepare ahead and wow your guests with this stunning and refreshing dessert.