Lemon Brûlée Posset Delight (Print Version)

Silky lemon cream with caramelized sugar topping served in lemon shells for a refreshing treat.

# Ingredient List:

→ Cream Base

01 - 2 1/8 cups heavy cream
02 - 2/3 cup caster sugar
03 - Zest of 2 lemons

→ Lemon Juice

04 - 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2–3 lemons)

→ Serving

05 - 6 large lemons (for shells, juice reserved)

→ Brûlée Topping

06 - 6–8 teaspoons caster sugar

# How-To Steps:

01 - Halve 6 large lemons lengthwise. Gently juice and scoop out the flesh, preserving shells intact. Trim a thin slice from the bottom of each shell so they stand upright. Refrigerate the shells until ready to use.
02 - Combine heavy cream, caster sugar, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer gently for 3 minutes without boiling, then remove from heat.
03 - Stir in freshly squeezed lemon juice; the mixture will thicken slightly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh to remove zest for a smooth texture.
04 - Carefully pour the lemon cream mixture into the prepared lemon shells, filling them near the rim.
05 - Refrigerate for at least 3 hours until the cream is fully set.
06 - Just before serving, evenly sprinkle about 1 teaspoon caster sugar atop each filled lemon shell. Use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelize the sugar until crisp and golden. Let the sugar harden for 2–3 minutes before serving.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in a professional kitchen, but takes barely thirty minutes of actual work.
  • Serving it in lemon shells is the kind of detail that makes people gasp before they even taste it.
  • The contrast between the cool, creamy posset and the snap of caramelized sugar on top is genuinely addictive.
  • You can prep it a day ahead and only torch the topping right before guests arrive, which is pure dinner-party magic.
02 -
  • Don't add the lemon juice until the cream has cooled slightly; if it's too hot, the acid can sometimes cause the texture to separate, which I learned the expensive way with a batch that went wrong.
  • The posset will seem too thin when you first pour it, but it firms up dramatically in the fridge as the lemon juice does its work, so trust the process and resist the urge to add cornstarch or gelatin.
  • If you don't have a blowtorch, a very hot broiler works in a pinch, but watch it like a hawk because the sugar can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.
03 -
  • Room-temperature lemon juice won't shock the hot cream the way cold juice does, so always use juice that's been sitting out for a few minutes, or warm it slightly.
  • The lemon shells are actually edible once you've eaten the posset, but they're quite bitter, so most people just admire them and push them aside.
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