Lemon Brûlée Posset Delight (Printable)

Luxurious lemon cream served in lemon shells with crisp caramelized sugar tops.

# What you'll need:

→ Cream Base

01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - 2/3 cup caster sugar
03 - Zest of 2 lemons

→ Lemon Juice

04 - 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)

→ Serving

05 - 6 large lemons, hollowed for shells

→ Brûlée Topping

06 - 6 to 8 teaspoons caster sugar for caramelizing

# How to make it:

01 - Cut lemons in half lengthwise. Carefully juice and scoop out the flesh, keeping the shells intact. Trim a thin slice from the bottom of each shell so they stand upright. Refrigerate shells until needed.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, caster sugar, and lemon zest. Heat over medium until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes without boiling over, then remove from heat.
03 - Stir in freshly squeezed lemon juice into the cream mixture. Allow it to thicken slightly. Let cool for 10 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh to remove zest for a smooth texture.
04 - Divide the warm mixture evenly among the prepared lemon shells, filling them near the rim.
05 - Place filled lemon shells in the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours until set.
06 - Just before serving, sprinkle approximately 1 teaspoon of caster sugar evenly over each filled shell. Use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelize the sugar until crisp and golden. Allow topping to harden for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks impossibly elegant but takes barely 20 minutes of actual work—the rest is chilling and a quick torch moment.
  • The tartness of fresh lemon cuts through the richness so perfectly that it actually feels light despite all that cream.
  • Serving it in the lemon shell itself is pure theater; your guests will genuinely gasp.
  • You can make the posset a full day ahead, so the stress-free part of entertaining actually works.
02 -
  • Don't skip straining the zest out after adding the lemon juice—tiny bits of pith create an unpleasant grittiness that ruins the texture.
  • The posset has to be completely cold before you torch it, or the sugar won't caramelize properly and the heat will warm the cream underneath.
  • If you don't have a kitchen blowtorch, your broiler works in a pinch, but watch it like a hawk—one distracted moment and you'll burn the sugar black.
03 -
  • For extra depth, infuse the cream with a single sprig of thyme or basil while it simmers, then remove it before adding the lemon juice.
  • If you're worried about the lemon shells splitting during scooping, pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes first—the cold makes them less fragile.
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