Lemon Posset
Tangy and light- this make-ahead, citrus-forward lemon posset is a great alternative to a heavy cheesecake.
What is a lemon posset?
Take a lemon pie cross it with a cheesecake, and you have a posset. The crust is a simple enriched egg and butter pie crust that is fitted into a forgiving springform pan- so easy to release and cut perfect slices.
The filling is loads of fresh lemon juice, cream, buttermilk and sweetened condensed milk. Chill at least 4 hours or even better- overnight for it to set perfectly without adding gelatin. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar, sliced berries or a scoop of sorbet. It’s perfect for spring, summer or anytime you want an elegant dessert worthy of a centerpiece.
Ingredients in a lemon posset:
- flour
- sugar
- confectioners sugar, granulated sugar
- salt
- sweetened condensed milk
- butter
- eggs
- heavy cream
- buttermilk
- lemons
- to garnish- fresh blackberries or blueberries, sorbet or whipped cream
Special equipment needed for this recipe:
- pie weights
- foil or parchment paper
- 9-inch springform pan- buy my favorite here
If you love lemons, try this other lemon recipes:
Common Questions
Store the posset, covered, in the fridge. To help the crust maintain its shape, consider popping it back into the pan or in a cake pan.
Because of the high cream, buttermilk/ dairy content, which can split or become mealy when frozen, it is best to chill this dessert, but not freeze.
Yes, but this makes a lot of dough which sets up very nicely in the springform pan. I prefer not to trim the dough to create a more “shaggy” or rustic appearance. The springform pan releases the posset so easily. No fighting to get out the first slice.
Yes- it takes some time for the eggs and butter to hydrate the flour. You can make this dough in advance, freeze up to one month, and thaw overnight in your fridge. Be certain to prick the unbaked dough before you blind bake it.
It is found in a small can in the baking aisle. Often times it is near the sugars. Look for Eagle or Magnolia brands.
Using a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients with a whisk. Then “cut” in the butter (chilled cut into small squares) with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse sand, then stir in the eggs. You can use clean hands to mix in the butter as well.
Pie weights are small ceramic balls that hold the pie crust in place and keep it from puffing up during baking. You can find them at almost any hardware store with a good home canning section. Look for them HERE for about $6.00. You can also use dried kidney or black beans as pie weights. Just do not cook with them after you use them. Store them in a glass jar and use them over and over when blind baking a pie.
How to Serve a Lemon Posset:
Use your best antique plates and silverware. Dust each cut slice with a bit of sifted confectioners sugar and sliced berries on the side. Lemon, raspberry or blackberry sorbet are delicious to serve as well. A dollop of whipped cream would also be lovely.
This is a perfect dessert for a bridal or baby shower, a small gathering or an afternoon tea.
Lemon Posset
Equipment
- 9" springform pan
- pie weights
- parchment paper or foil
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 2 TBSP sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 8 TBSP unsalted butter cold cut into cubes
- 2 eggs
- For the filing:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup full fat buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 -14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- Zest of 3 lemons
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- Blackberries & blueberries
- Confectioners sugar for dusting.
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, salt & sugar. Pulse in the butter until mixture looks like sand. Pulse in the eggs. Turn out dough on a lightly floured board and mold into a round disc. Wrap in plastic. Chill for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove dough and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll the pastry dough into a 12” disc to fit inside the pan. Using the rolling pin, gently lift & roll up the crust and press into the springform pan. Press lightly to fill in any spaces. Trim any excess from the sides. Pierce the dough all over the bottom with a fork. Line pan with parchment and add in pie weights. Chill 30 minutes.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and bake another 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let cool completely.
- For the filling:
- Pour heavy cream and buttermilk into a heavy saucepan. Let come to a simmer. Add zest. Remove from heat. Add in the sweetened condensed milk. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour the mixture into the cooled tart crust. Let chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Garnish with berries sliced in half and a dusting of confectioners sugar.
