Lemon Brûlée Posset Dessert (Printable)

Silky lemon cream chilled in citrus shells, finished with a crisp caramelized sugar topping.

# What You Need:

→ Cream Base

01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - ⅔ cup caster sugar
03 - Zest of 2 lemons

→ Lemon Juice

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

→ Serving

05 - 6 large lemons (for shells)

→ Brûlée Topping

06 - 1 to 1⅓ tablespoons caster sugar

# How To Make It:

01 - Halve 6 large lemons lengthwise. Carefully juice and scoop out the flesh, retaining the shells intact. Trim a small slice off each shell’s base to ensure they stand upright. Refrigerate shells until needed.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, caster sugar, and lemon zest. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer without boiling and maintain for 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
03 - Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice until the mixture thickens slightly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh to remove zest, ensuring a smooth consistency.
04 - Pour the warm cream mixture carefully into the prepared lemon shells, filling near the rim.
05 - Refrigerate the filled lemon shells for a minimum of 3 hours until the cream sets firmly.
06 - Sprinkle approximately 1 teaspoon of caster sugar evenly over the cream surface of each lemon shell. Using a kitchen blowtorch, caramelize the sugar until golden and crisp. Let the brûlée set for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The lemon shell does double duty as serving vessel and flavor anchor, making plating feel effortless and elegant.
  • That first crack of brûlée top into silky posset is pure satisfaction, every single time.
  • It looks showstopping but comes together in under an hour of actual work, with most time spent chilling.
02 -
  • The cream mixture will seem thin after adding lemon juice, but trust that it firms as it chills—stirring it around or second-guessing it will break the structure.
  • Caramelize the brûlée top only minutes before serving; sugar softens quickly in the fridge and loses that satisfying crackle.
  • Don't skip straining the zest unless you enjoy flecks in your spoon, which changes nothing flavor-wise but feels less refined.
03 -
  • Let your lemons sit at room temperature for an hour before halving and scooping—warm lemons juice more easily and their shells hold their shape better.
  • If your brûlée torch feels intimidating, practice on a spare lemon shell with sugar first so you understand how fast it caramelizes and how close you need to hold the flame.
Return