Lemon Posset with Shortbread & Fresh Raspberries

Three ingredients. No gelatin, no eggs, no water bath. The lemon posset is one of those recipes that sounds too simple to be impressive until you make it and realize that simplicity is exactly the point. The lemon acid sets the cream into a silky, trembling, intensely citrusy custard that is genuinely better than it has any right to be.

"How did you make this?" is a reliable guest reaction, and the answer — cream, sugar, lemon, refrigerator — is always a small victory. Served in a crystal glass with shortbread and fresh raspberries, it's one of the best desserts for an intimate dinner.

Ingredients (serves 6): - 2 ½ cups heavy cream (double cream) - 5 ¼ oz caster sugar - Juice of 3 large lemons (about ⅓ cup) - Zest of 2 lemons - Pinch of salt

Shortbread (or use store-bought): - 3 ½ oz unsalted butter, softened - 1 ¾ oz caster sugar - 5 ¼ oz all-purpose flour - Pinch of salt

To Serve: - 7 oz fresh raspberries - Mint sprigs - Powdered sugar for dusting

Posset Instructions: Combine cream, sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for exactly 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then pour through a fine sieve into a jug. Pour into 6 small glasses or ramekins. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours (overnight is ideal).

Shortbread Instructions: Beat butter and sugar until pale. Fold in flour and salt until a dough forms. Wrap and chill 30 minutes. Roll to 5mm, cut into fingers, bake at 325°F for 12–15 minutes until pale golden. Cool completely.

Assembly: Just before serving, scatter fresh raspberries over the set posset. Add a shortbread finger balanced on the rim. Garnish with a mint sprig and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Pro Tips: The exact boiling time matters — 3 minutes produces the right acidity-to-cream ratio for setting. Too little and it won't set; too much and it becomes dense. Use a timer. The posset can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap touching the surface.