Lemon Posset with Orange and Almond Biscuits
Lemon trees are very much a feature of many New Zealand gardens and at this time of the year the trees are laden with fruit. Meyer lemons have a golden skin and lots of juice whereas the pale skinned Genoa, Lisbon or Yen Ben lemons have a much paler skin with sharper flavoured juice. The latter are the varieties I prefer to use for cooking.
This lemon posset recipe is a great dessert as it can be made two or three days in advance. When catering we served the posset in votive candle glasses. If using Lisbon or Yen Ben Lemons the dessert is much sharper. If using Meyer lemons, add the grated rind and juice of a lime to heighten the flavour. And a posset can also be made with limes alone.
Serve in small glasses or demitasse coffee cups that may be hiding in the back of the cupboard. Usually there are about 12 serves for this recipe depending on the size of the presentation glass/cup. Serve posset with a crisp biscuit for texture contrast.
Lemon Posset
Ingredients:
600ml cream
3/4 cups caster sugar
2-3 large lemons, zest and juice
Method:
Place the cream and the caster sugar in a large heavy based saucepan.
In a separate bowl, zest and juice the lemons and set aside.
Over a medium heat, bring the cream and caster sugar to a boil; immediately time 3 minutes exactly with a timer. (The cream and sugar must boil for exactly 3 minutes otherwise the lemon posset will not set). Do not leave unattended as the cream has a nasty habit of boiling over!
Once the cream and caster sugar has boiled for 3 minutes, take off the heat and add the prepared zest and juice of the lemons, whisk together well.
Pour lemon posset mixture into a jug and carefully pour into shot glasses.
Chill completely for 4-6 hours but is best overnight.
Serve garnished with a small dollop of lightly whipped cream or mascarpone topped with shreds of lemon rind glaceed in sugar syrup
Orange and almond biscuits
Ingredients:
60g butter
60g caster sugar
60g blanched chopped almonds (or use half quantity slithered almonds and blanched almonds), finely chopped
60g mixed peel, finely chopped
45g sifted plain flour
2 tbsp milk
Method:
Preheat oven 150 degrees C fanbake.
Chop the almonds and put aside. It is important is do this by hand and not in a food processor as the texture achieved in a food processor alters the final consistency of the biscuits.
Cream the butter, add the sugar, and beat well.
Add the peel, chopped almonds, flour, and combine with the milk or orange juice and combine.
Place half teaspoon-fulls on an oven slide lined with non-stick paper. Roll these into balls with wet hands. Flatten these little biscuits with a wet folk and bake in a preheated oven, until the edges are tinged light golden brown.....usually biscuits take about 6-8 minutes. Leave a few minutes before removing from the non-stick paper.
Once cooled store on an airtight container. These biscuits can be made successfully using finely chopped Brazil nuts in place of almonds.
Hester’s Hint: Lemons are such a friend in the kitchen and are considered an essential ingredient for me. Lemon juice heightens the flavour of a dish, add a generous squeeze of lemon juice to slow braised meat or chicken dishes or a savoury sauce just before serving to intensify the flavour.
Spring has arrived in Hester’s garden…
Photography by Pippa Marffy