Clementine Posset

Close up of a Clementine Posset topped with orange shreds and gold leaf.

If you’re looking for a rich, creamy make-ahead dessert to serve to Christmas or New Years guests, or just because, look no further than my Clementine Posset. Made with just four simple ingredients, it literally takes only 10 minutes to put together before leaving in the fridge to set, and if you’re anything like me over the holiday period there is always a pot of double cream in the fridge and a couple of lemons and clementines in the fruit bowl.

Top with a little optional edible gold leaf (ad) and a few shreds of clementine zest it is a festive dessert that really is more than the sum of its parts.

Two possets with silver spoons.
Close up of a clementine posset with a silver spoon digging into it.

Ever since I first published a recipe for Lemon Posset in Student Eats (ad) I’ve been a fan of this magical method that makes rich, indulgent set creams without the need for gelatine or any other setting agent. All you need to do is heat cream and stir in citrus juice, and you’ll see the mixture thicken before your very eyes. You won’t need a thermometer or anything like that, so it is utterly foolproof, and I’ve taken care to use a full 300ml pot of cream to make sure you don’t have any leftovers hanging around the fridge (you want single cream to put in the bread sauce to go with the goose or the turkey, not double cream, after all!), and it is also worth noting that I’ve had success both halving and doubling this recipe when making this for just us / guests.

I know I keep saying it, but I also love how simple this Clementine Posset is. For something rich, creamy, and served in a pot it is like the antidote to something like my Triple Chocolate Panna Cotta – delicious and striking, but time consuming building each different white, dark and milk chocolate layer!

Clementine Panna Cotta topped with gold leaf and shredded clementine peel.

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Clementine Panna Cotta topped with gold leaf and shredded clementine peel.

Clementine Posset

  • Author: Rachel Phipps
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Chilling Time: 4 hours
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: British

Description

Easy, rich, zesty and creamy these simple 4-ingredient Clementine Possets are the perfect make-ahead dessert to make this Christmas!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 300ml (1 1/4 cup) double cream
  • 70g (1/3 cup) golden caster sugar
  • zest of 1 large clementine
  • juice of 1 large clementines
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • edible gold leaf, optional, to decorate

Instructions

  1. Combine the cream and the sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Gradually stir to bring the cream to the point where it is just starting to boil and the sugar has all dissolved. Then, remove from the heat.
  2. Meanwhile, zest one of the clementines, and if you want to decorate each posset with a little zest, remove a few strips from the other with a vegetable peeler and slice into very thin strips. Also, juice the clementines and the lemon half.
  3. Whisk the clementine zest into the hot cream, followed by the citrus juice; it should noticeably thicken as you whisk in the zest.
  4. Divide between four glasses, and chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
  5. Decorate with edible gold leaf, if using, and the strips of clementine zest just before serving.

Notes

Seek out big, plump clementines from markets and farmshops if you can; supermarket clementines are getting smaller and smaller every year, and you need the larger yield of juice to ensure a good set on your posset.

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