Lemon and Rosemary Posset

My other name for this is the Easiest Pud You Could Wish for. Serve it on its own or with some little cookies or shortbread. It’s also nice with a mixed berry salad: chopped strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries tossed in a little icing/confectioners’ sugar. You can simply leave out the rosemary or, for a bit of variety, use half lemon and half lime juice. A finely diced ball of stem ginger and 2 tablespoons ginger syrup will spice it up beautifully, while the seeds of 6 cardamom pods infused with the milk, then strained, will give it a new set of flavours.

MAKES 4 individual possets

PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes, plus cooling and at least 2 hours chilling

COOKING TIME 4 minutes

2 rosemary sprigs

500ml/7fl oz/2 cups double/heavy cream

150g/5½oz/scant ¾ cup caster/superfine sugar

80ml/2½fl oz/1/3 cup lemon juice

 

1 Bruise the rosemary by hitting lightly with a rolling pin (the kids will think you are mad if they see you doing this!) and put in a saucepan with the cream and sugar. Gently bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, and making sure it doesn’t boil over.

2 Remove from the heat, fish out the rosemary and leave the cream to cool for a few minutes before stirring in the lemon juice.

3 Pour into wine glasses, dishes or cups and leave to cool, then put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill. (The lemon posset can be made a couple of days before serving and kept covered in the refrigerator.)