Lemon possets with blueberry spoon fruit

The quaintly named lemon posset is one of the simplest and most elegant desserts I know. Made with little more than cream, sugar and lemons, it sets into a silky, spoonable custard without the need for eggs or gelatine.

Here, I’ve paired it with blueberry spoon fruit: berries cooked just long enough to soften into a glossy syrup while still retaining their shape. Best of all, both elements can be made a day ahead, leaving only the simple pleasure of spooning the fruit over the chilled possets just before serving. A crisp almond biscuit or shortbread served on the side would be a lovely accompaniment.

finely grated zest of 2 lemons, plus extra to serve

20g fresh basil leaves, roughly torn, plus 6 leaves to garnish

90ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

To make the possets, place the sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until fragrant and lightly tinged yellow. Add the cream and salt, then place over a medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer steadily for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, stir in the basil leaves and leave to infuse for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, arrange six serving glasses or ramekins on a tray.

Strain the cream mixture through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing gently on the zest and basil to extract as much flavour as possible. Whisk in the lemon juice until combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the glasses (about 120ml each), then refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight (and up to 2 days), until softly set.

To make the blueberry spoon fruit, place 180g of the blueberries into a small saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Set over a medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently, until the sugar has dissolved, and the berries begin to burst and release their juices. Add the remaining 70g of blueberries and cook for just 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. The syrup will thicken slightly as it cools.

To serve, spoon the blueberries and some of the syrup over the chilled possets. Garnish with a little finely grated lemon zest and a small basil leaf.

Note: The blueberry spoon fruit makes 330g

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