A Citrus Pudding That Practically Makes Itself

A Citrus Pudding That Practically Makes Itself

Its name may be straight out of a nursery rhyme, but the British dessert known as St. Clement’s posset is a perfectly realistic way for a time-pressed cook to top off a meal

By Aleksandra Crapanzano in the Wall Street Journal

“ ‘ORANGES AND LEMONS,’ say the bells of St. Clement’s.” So begins the well-known nursery rhyme about the church bells of London. Like so many rhymes supposedly for children, this one has a gruesome end: “Here comes a candle to light you to bed, And here comes a chopper to chop off your head! Chip, chop, chip, chop, the last man is dead.” Not a likely inspiration for a dessert, is it?

Nevertheless, over the centuries, St. Clement’s has come to stand not for tragedy, but for the cheerful fusion of orange and lemon, specifically in the form of St. Clement’s posset—a posset being a puddinglike confection produced by curdling milk or cream with an acid such as wine or, in the case of the version under discussion here, citrus juice.

After the ice cream cone (just scoop and serve), possets are perhaps the easiest dessert to make. They require but three elements: cream, sugar and a flavorful curdling agent. They’re made in advance and served chilled, in anything from pretty teacups to canning jars. Sometimes they’re eaten with a spoon; sometimes a wedge of shortbread serves as an edible spoon. One look at the amount of cream in the recipe at right and you’ll see that small portions are in order.

The recipe comes by request from London baker Justin Gellatly, known for creating the cult doughnuts and much-prized bread at Fergus Henderson’s nose-to-tail restaurant St. John. As he explains it, he came to the restaurant to learn about offal but by day’s end had fallen in love with baking. Recently, he left to open his own bakery and cooking school, Bread Ahead, and to publish the excellent book “Bread, Cake, Doughnut, Pudding.”

Though a champion of traditional British desserts, Mr. Gellatly is not above making improvements where they seem warranted. Typically the ingredients for a posset are merely stirred together, but he advises giving them a beating or whisking, which makes for a lighter texture.

When I heard Mr. Gellatly had had his sourdough starter blessed at Southwark Cathedral, I knew he was the man to talk to about a pudding that dates back to the 15th century and is the stuff of literary legend. Having tested and tasted his light, bright version, I can happily report that I was not wrong.

St. Clement’s Posset

Active Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 4 hours (includes chilling) Serves: 4

• 1 pint heavy cream
• ⅔ cup sugar
• Zest of 1½ lemons, plus juice from 2 lemons
• Zest of 1 orange, plus juice from 1½ oranges

1. Slowly bring cream, sugar and citrus zest to a boil over medium-low heat. Immediately reduce heat to low and let slowly simmer to infuse cream, 3 minutes. Do not let cream boil.

2. Strain citrus juices into a mixing bowl. While whisking, pour infused cream into juice and continue whisking until combined. Pour posset into four teacups or small glass containers. Chill, uncovered, in the refrigerator 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap and continue chilling until set, at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.

3. Serve chilled with cookies, spoons or both.