Hi FL,
Tried a couple of new recipes while I've been on leave, and loved them both.
The first one is a lemon posset, as we had plenty of lemons and cream, after Christmas Day. I set the posset in little cups as it's very rich and you don't need much. I was so sure it wasn't going to set at all, but it did, and the consistency was like a crème brulee. I didn't grate the rind in as I don't like the texture, but I used a potato peeler instead, and then strained the peel out after I'd stirred the syrup into the cream and let it cool a little. It was a bit too sweet for us - any suggestions as to how much I could reduce the sugar by, without affecting how it sets pls?
I looked at lots of posset recipes, and they can have nutmeg/ginger/vanilla added, but we wanted just the lemon flavour, and this was the only one I found where you made a lemon syrup and then added it to the scalded cream.

[www.thespruceeats.com]

The other recipe was for a cheese and onion tart, using up the scraps of cheese from the cheeseboard, and it was delish served at room temp, with a nice green salad. The only change I made here was using filo pastry instead of their included pastry recipe. I used a mix of tasty cheddar, blue, blue brie, and Jarlsberg. Any combination of cheeses would work, as long as they had a bit of 'oomph' flavour-wise. I caramelised the onions a bit more than called for as I got caught up doing other things lol. I put the onions on the bottom and then the cheeses, but I don't think it would really matter.

Happy 2019 everyone!


[www.bbcgoodfood.com]

Both recipes are worth trying. Thank you, Heather.

Here is the posset recipe that I use (from Nigel Slater). It doesn't involve heating the citrus juice, and this gives the posset a fresher flavour. I mainly make a lime version, which is gorgeous.

Lemon Posset

Makes 4 small glasses.

500ml double cream
150g caster sugar
75ml lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest, very finely grated

Put the cream and caster sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat so that the mixture doesn't boil over, and let it bubble enthusiastically for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly.

Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and zest and leave to settle. Pour into four small wine glasses or cups and leave to cool. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Variations: use lime or blood orange or grapefruit.

I have made the Lemon Posset recipe TPANDAV posted a couple or maybe more years ago - its just so easy to make, tastes beautiful, and is very sinful!
Regards,
Dawn..

Ooh this sounds lovely, I have lots cream in fridge good until the 5th and I was wondering what to do with it.

I have only made lemon posset by adding the lemon juice and zest - after cream /sugar has boiled for the 3 mins reqd and have made for years
Have never seen a recipe where you heat juice and would not wish to heat the lemon and miss the fresh lemon flavour
You could cut the sugar by a tablespoon if too sweet - but it maybe that your lemons weren't a good variety of Villa Franca or Lisbon. But not using rind would make it less sour

If your lemons were Meyer, I am not surprised there was not enough sour/flavour
they shouldn't be used for cooking desserts/cakes in my opinion as not a true lemon and grated rind would not be nice compared with good lemons

Danube with lots of cream to use up, just freeze it and use for cakes (2 recipes I have) in scones in place of butter, ganache, cream added to cream sauces of wine stock etc. Some use cream in pasta dishes Many uses
Before freezing - pour a little from each bottle into small container and freeze separately or whip and freeze
That is another way to use the cream - soft whip cream ( soft whip not firm) and freeze in ramekins to use on desserts
Gently fold bottom to top before using as firmer on top and softer at bottom or add a little milk if too firm but best if just lightly whipped for freezing

Great tips thank you Heather. A good few years ago I had too much cream left over and I googled back then and couldn't find any advice as to if cream could be frozen so I didn't. People felt it would separate on defrosting and be curdled. Handy to know it freezes well.

Lemon posset is always well received. I agree with Heather regarding the lemons used. Most of the modern lemon varieties are very meyer like in sweetness. I struggled to find a modern variety I liked when I couldn’t get an old fashioned Lisbon. I serve my posset either in small espresso cups/saucers or crystal glasses. Several years ago I bought a crazy assortment of port/sherry sized glasses at an op shop for 50c each. They worka treat.

Yes Danube, it does curdle on freezing - that is why my suggestions are for using in cake mixtures or scones where it doesn't matter that cream has curdled I haven't said to freeze it to then whip it

So don't use it in that way, you will be disappointed
I have recommended for using on desserts - to very lightly whip it BEFORE freezing it, then it
is OK
not quite the same as fresh whip, but very nearly so if a light whip and it goes stiffer with the freezing

Heather, thanks for clarifying, I might freeze in smaller pots (I had half a 2 litre left over this time) to use in baking etc. I was silly and in the end didn't make anything by the use by and had to tip down the sink, I'll definitely give it a go next time.

What a shame that you tipped it out, Danube
Even if sour you could have frozen it still for baking

It would not have been suitable to use for ganache, or in sauces, pasta etc

BUT still ideal to use in cake mixtures and scone mixtures, - it doesn't matter that it is a bit sour
In flour mixtures, it can be curdled from freezing or sour when you freeze it
It is good for baking

Made TVANDAV’s posset recipe to great acclaim. So easy and so good. Thank you.