Lemon posset with caramelised white chocolate and meringue
by
- Dessert
- Medium
- 4
- 2 hours
PT2H
Rich, creamy and indulgent, Ollie Moore's lemon posset recipe makes a delicious dessert that's sure to impress. The set lemon cream is topped with a rich lemon curd, then marshmallowey mounds of Italian meringue and crisp citrus-scented shards. Ollie cooks white chocolate in a water bath to give it a caramel flavour, which perfectly finishes off the dish.
Ingredients
Lemon posset
- 450ml of double cream
- 125g of sugar
- 75g of lemon juice
Caramelised white chocolate
- 200g of white chocolate , chopped
Citrus meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 150g of icing sugar
- 150g of caster sugar
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 lemon , zest only
- 1 lime , zest only
Lemon curd
- 4 eggs
- 4 lemons , juice only
- 350g of sugar
- 225g of butter
- 23g of cornflour
- 1 sheet of gelatine, softened in cold water
Italian meringue
- 50g of egg white
- 100g of sugar
- 5g of glucose
To serve
Equipment
- Water bath
- Vacuum bags
- Bar sealer
- Food mixer with whisk attachment
- Sugar thermometer
- Piping bags
- Blowtorch
Method
1
Preheat a water bath to 90°C
2
Begin with the caramelised white chocolate. Seal the chopped chocolate in a vacuum bag and cook in the water bath for at least 12 hours – when ready the chocolate should resemble a light caramel sauce in colour and texture
- 200g of white chocolate , chopped
3
Remove from the water bath and chill the bag immediately in a bowl of iced water. Firm the chocolate up in the freezer until ready to serve
4
The lemon posset will also need to be made ahead. Combine the ingredients in a pan and place over a medium heat. Bring to the boil then cook for a further 30–45 seconds at a light simmer, ensuring that the sugar has fully dissolved into the cream
- 450ml of double cream
- 125g of sugar
- 75g of lemon juice
5
Remove from the heat and pass the cream through a fine sieve to ensure it is totally smooth. Divide between 4 individual serving bowls or ramekins and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or until ready to serve
6
Preheat the oven to 90°C/gas mark 1/4
7
To make the shards of citrus meringue, combine all of the ingredients in a large, clean bowl. Whisk on high speed until the meringue is glossy and reaches stiff peak stage
- 4 egg whites
- 150g of icing sugar
- 150g of caster sugar
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 lemon , zest only
- 1 lime , zest only
8
Spread the meringue mixture out thinly on a silcone baking mat or a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cook in the low oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes until dried out completely. Allow to cool then snap into shards and reserve until ready to serve
9
Meanwhile, make the lemon curd – this will make more than needed for the dessert but any excess will keep in the fridge for up to a week
10
Place the eggs in a large bowl and set over a pan of barely simmering water to create a bain marie (be careful not to let the bowl touch the water)
- 4 eggs
12
Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Spread a layer of curd over the top of each posset then return the possets to the fridge to set
13
Just before serving, prepare the Italian meringue. Place the sugar and glucose in a pan and top up with just enough cold water to cover the sugar
- 100g of sugar
- 5g of glucose
14
Place the pan over a medium heat, bring to the boil and heat to soft ball stage (118°C on a sugar thermometer). While the sugar comes up to temperature, start whisking the egg whites in a food mixer on a medium–high speed so that they start to increase in volume
- 50g of egg white
15
As soon as the sugar reaches 118°C, remove the pan from the heat and start to slowly pour the hot syrup into the whisking egg whites
16
Once all the syrup is added, reduce the speed to low and continue to whisk until the meringue has completely cooled. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag
17
To serve, remove the set possets from the fridge. Pipe mounds of the Italian meringue on top of the curd layer and scorch lightly with a blowtorch
18
Add shards of the citrus meringue to decorate and garnish with a few sprigs of lemon balm cress. Remove the caramelised white chocolate from the freezer and finely grate over each dish to serve
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Lemon posset with caramelised white chocolate and meringue
