Lemon and elderflower posset

Summer

This is a lovely version of a classic English pudding. The addition of elderflower gives it a heady floral note, which works beautifully with the lemon. I like to garnish this with fresh gooseberries. You can cook them briefly with a little honey, but I prefer them sliced raw and sweetened with just a little sugar and a squeeze of lemon. It’s a very refreshing way to eat them and they cut through the richness of the cream in the posset wonderfully.

Makes 4 - 6

Ingredients

500ml double cream
140g unrefined caster sugar
The juice and very finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
4 to 6 heads of fresh elderflower
100g firm young gooseberries
1 tbsp unrefined caster sugar
Juice of half a lemon

Method

Pour the cream into a large saucepan and add the sugar and elderflower heads. Set over a medium heat and warm gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When it comes to a simmer, turn the heat down and cook for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding the flower heads. Whisk in the lemon juice and zest, then strain into a jug and pour into six small glasses. Leave to cool, then cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours until set.

To serve, top and tail the gooseberries and slice them into 3 to 4 mm rounds. Place them in a bowl, toss with the sugar and lemon juice, and leave to stand for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the sweetness if needed, though a little sharpness works well here.

Spoon the gooseberries over each posset and serve straight away.

Back to Membership