Lemon Posset Tart!
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Deliciously creamy lemon posset on top of a buttery biscuit base – a yummy no-bake dessert based on a classic… the lemon posset tart!
Lemon bakes
So we all know how much I adore anything lemon right?! My lemon meringue blondies, my no-bake lemon cheesecake, my lemon and elderflower cake… the list goes on. I genuinely have lost track of how many lemon themed bakes are on my blog, yet this beauty?! It’s one of my favourites.
I wanted to make a simple summery dessert, thats even easier to make than a cheesecake. So when I think of lemon desserts I knew I could think of something good = the lemon posset.
However, I always crave something biscuity with my Lemon Posset’s so decided to ramp up the standard recipe a tad and make it into a lemon posset tart! And do you know what this means? It’s basically just a no-bake lemon tart and who doesn’t love that idea!
Lemon Posset
I have always adored lemon posset as it’s so simple yet simple scrumptious. Who knew that combining sugar, cream and lemon could lead to something SO good?! Lemon posset is a thick set cream and it’s absolutely luxurious.
When I worked at a cafe a few years ago, they made afternoon teas every day… one of the preparations for this was to make mini individual Lemon Posset’s with a raspberry on top, and I made thousands of them. Luckily, I really didn’t mind as they are genuinely that easy to make.
Biscuit Base
I realise that this looks a lot like a Cheesecake but its not, its simpler then that and SO MUCH EASIER! Technically yes you need a hob to be able to do it, so you are ‘cooking’ something in a way, but it’s still just a five ingredient tart without the decoration.
For the base, I simply used a standard Cheesecake style base of 300g of biscuits to 150g of melted unsalted butter, and topped it with all of the Lemon Posset mixture – easy. I always use a simple biscuit such as a digestive because they are so readily available and I love the flavour of them. Press the biscuits into the base and sides of your 9″ tart tin.
You can use a shortbread base, a biscoff base, or even a ginger nut base if you want instead as they all work really well also, but you’ll want to use 100g of melted butter instead as they all require less butter.
The filling
It’s a very simple dessert to make in reality. All you do is add the cream and sugar together, heat and boil in the pan, and then add the lemon zest and juice! It really is only three ingredients (technically four if you claim lemon zest/juice is two.)
I find that possets in general are a very easy dessert – the ratio of 200ml of cream to 1 lemons worth of zest is what works best, and it’s delicious! However, that isn’t enough for this tart, so 600ml double cream is needed.
I use a heavy based saucepan and add the cream and sugar and melt them together on a low heat. You need to stir the mixture to make sure that the sugar doesn’t catch, and you need to make the sugar dissolve. Once the sugar has dissolved, you turn up the heat and boil for 1 minute before mixing in the lemon.
Decoration
The setting part is a little weird, as the mixture (because of what you do to it) sorta ends up jelly like, but it’s thicker, and completely natural. It genuinely its just a set lemon cream, and that’s the charm of it. The top of the tart naturally colours quite yellow as well, which helps with the lemon theme.
For the decoration, I go simple. It’s completely and utterly optional (as always!), but whipped swirls of cream, a sprinkle of a crushed biscuit, and some freeze dried raspberries. Simple, yet elegant. I whip my own cream using double cream and icing sugar, as pre-whipped UHT cream will just melt.
Tips & Tricks
You can obviously just make this in to individual Posset’s leaving out the biscuit base, or even serve them individually! If I do that, I usually make 8-10 portions of of this mixture! Or if you go mini, use shot glasses!
- This recipe will last for 3 days, in the fridge
- You can freeze this recipe for 3+ months
- Other citrus such as lime will also work.
- I use this tart tin in the recipe
- I use these freeze dried raspberries for the decoration
- I use this piping tip for the decoration
Lemon Posset Tart!
Ingredients
Biscuit Crust
- 300 g digestives
- 150 g unsalted butter (melted)
Lemon Posset Filling
- 600 ml double cream
- 200 g caster sugar
- Zest of 3 lemons
- 75 ml lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
Decoration
- 150 ml double cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- freeze dried raspberries
- biscuit crumbs
Instructions
- Blitz the biscuits in a food processor and add the melted butter and mix together until combined
- Alternatively, bash the biscuits to a fine crumb in a bowl and mix in the melted butter
- Push the biscuits base into the bottom and sides of a loose bottomed 9" tart tin. I usually start on the sides, and then cover the bottom last.
- Pour the double cream and caster sugar into a large pan and heat on the hob gently, stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Turn the heat up (medium heat max!) and heat the mixture until it starts to boil gently, stir frequently to stop the mixture from catching on the bottom – let it boil for 1 minute and then turn off the heat.
- Stir in the lemon zest and juice and pour onto the biscuit base – refrigerate for 4+ hours, or preferably overnight so it has time to set properly.
- Once set, decorate how you please – I mix 150ml double cream with 2 tbsps icing sugar and pipe on, and then use some freeze dried raspberries, and some biscuit crumbs.
Notes
- You can obviously just make this in to individual Posset's leaving out the biscuit base, or even serve them individually! If I do that, I usually make 8-10 portions of of this mixture! Or if you go mini, use shot glasses!
- This recipe will last for 3 days, in the fridge
- You can freeze this recipe for 3+ months
- Other citrus such as lime will also work.
- I use this tart tin in the recipe
- I use these freeze dried raspberries for the decoration
- I use this piping tip for the decoration
ENJOY!
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J x
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Hi, haven’t made this yet but am wondering if I could use just a biscuit base with no sides in mini round cases, If i line the sides with parchment before adding the lemon would this work???????
Think biscuit sides as well as base would be too much in mini form.
Thanks for any help
Hi Jane,
Absolutely loved this recipe! Everyone was so impressed. I wondered if this could be turned into minis? If so how much of the ingredients should be used? xx
I have made this probably about 10 times now, it is my absolute go to pudding. Everyone asks for the recipe when I make it – I hate giving it away as it’s so easy! Sometimes I do it with dried raspberries, other times fresh raspberiies or blueberries. It also works well cut into pieces served with a berry couli poured over if you are having a dinner party. It’s my number one make ahead pud!
Hack – take it out of the fridge for about 30 mins before trying to get it out of the tart case. Once it’s warmed slightly it comes out beautifully
Seriously delicious, everyone loved it. My favourite kind of summer dessert 🙂
I made this for Easter, using gluten free digestive biscuits and lactose free cream. It was a very easy and delicious dessert
Made this for Mother’s Day. It was a huge success. Everyone said it was better than any shop bought one.
Hi Jane! Do you think this will work with a ginger biscuit base? x
Hiya! For sure! Use 2/3 of the butter x
Does this need to be kept in a fridge after it has set?
Yes, it does! x
Hi Jane
Could i add Limoncello to this recipe at all?
Thanks so much
Crea
Annoyingly it may mean it doesn’t set the same!
Will the Lemon Posset recipe work if you double the quantities or better to do 2 separately?
Hiya! Better to do two separately to make sure it sets okay!
Hi,
I made this lemon posset tart. Went down a treat . Really tasty and everything went to plan and set perfectly.
Just that when it set there were a slight few bubbles / maybe air bubbles on top of it . Not many now but do you know the cause of this??
Hiya! Before setting, tap it on your work surface to get rid of any bubbles. Hope this helps! x
Could you do this but with a homemade pastry bottom? Or would the flavours/texture not work if I did that? I am asking as I could use this as an idea for my food GCSE exam. But I need to try and do as high skill as possible?
Hiya! You would have to have a blind baked pastry base, and even then it may still go slightly soggy. Hope this helps! x
What kind of cream did you use?
Could I use limoncello to make up the lemon juice?
Thankyou Jane, as always another lovely recipe! We had a last minuet arrangement so the tart only had a couple of hours to set but it was still absolutely lovely!
Made this for the first time, I was worried about the whole boiling and over doing it bit but followed the instructions and it came out perfectly! Thanks Jane!
Can you make this with vegan double cream please?