Cranberry Posset

Making this silky smooth and creamy cranberry posset only requires three ingredients; heavy cream, sugar, and unsweetened cranberry juice. 

Posset is a pretty magical dessert. It will remind you of a mousse, pudding, or panna cotta, but you don't need any eggs, gelatin, starch, or other thickeners. The magic lies in the combination of the boiled cream and the acid in the juice that causes the proteins in the cream to thicken. 

The resulting dessert, after being refrigerated, is super creamy, smooth, and flavorful. 

The trick to getting a perfectly creamy consistency is to have the right pH (2.6) from the juice. Typically, posset is made with lemon juice, which is just the right pH. Alternatively, if you want to to use other fruit juices, you would need to add lemon juice to get the dessert to thicken to the right consistency. 

I know it sounds geeky, but another option is to add a citric acid solution to reduce the pH of any fruit juice to 2.6 without adding a lemony flavor to the dessert. It's easier than it sounds. You can read about how to do this in my post about Blood Orange Posset. 

As luck would have it, bottled unsweetened cranberry juice has the same pH as lemon juice, so you don't need to add citric acid to make this version! 

Ingredients:

Cream

Granulated Sugar

Unsweetened Cranberry Juice: Be sure to use the unsweetened version, not the cranberry juice cocktail. 

Serving Suggestions:

You can serve it plain or top it with sweet berries or preserves of your choice to make the dessert extra summery. If you make it in the fall, you could top it with a sprinkling of candied pecans for a holiday vibe. 

My favorite topping turned out to be a mixture of Graham Cracker crumbs mixed with a little melted butter and granulated sugar sprinkled over the top just before serving. This is similar to what you might mix to make a Graham cracker crust before baking it. 

You could also layer the posset with more of the Graham cracker crumb mixture, streusel, or fruit like a parfait or "fruit-at-the-bottom" yogurt. 

A topping of whipped cream is also a great addition. 

I served these in individual ramekins, but small jelly jars or martini glasses would also be wonderful for serving. For mini desserts, shot glasses would be great too. 

To Make Cranberry Posset: 

First, in a medium saucepan, bring two cups of cream and 2/3 cup of granulated sugar to a boil and simmer until the mixture reduces to exactly two cups. This should take about 8 to 12 minutes. It's a good idea to have a 2 cup heatproof measuring cup nearby to check the volume of the mixture as you cook it. 

Once you have just two cups, remove the cream and sugar mixture from the heat, add six tablespoons of the juice, stir, and let cool. 

Finally, strain the mixture and pour it into small serving dishes and refrigerate. 

The posset will be good for at least three days. It's a great make-ahead dessert and perfect for a dinner party. 

I like to serve (and eat) this posset with little demitasse spoons. It makes the dessert last longer, and you and your guests can savor every bite after a meal. 

Plus, the little spoons are great for eating ice cream or any dessert you want to last longer. I ended up buying some tiny forks too for enjoying small cakes and bars. They are also great for appetizer and charcuterie boards. 

For a super easy and yet impressive dessert, give posset a try! 

Cranberry Posset

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinInactive time: 3 H & 20 MTotal time: 3 H & 35 M

Making this creamy cranberry posset only requires three ingredients, heavy cream, sugar, and unsweetened cranberry juice.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cranberry juice

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and the sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer, stirring regularly, until the mixture reduces to 2 cups. If the cream begins to boil over, remove briefly from the heat. Simmer for about 6 minutes and then measure to see how much it has reduced. Continue to simmer until the mixture is exactly 2 cups.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cranberry juice. Let sit for about 20 minutes.
3. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a 2 cup glass measuring cup and then divide among six individual ramekins or glasses.
4. Chill in the refrigerator, uncovered, for three hours. Serve, or cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated, July/August 2023

Nutrition Facts

Calories

362

Fat (grams)

29 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

18 g

Carbs (grams)

26 g

Fiber (grams)

0 g

Net carbs

26 g

Sugar (grams)

26 g

Protein (grams)

2 g

Cholesterol (grams)

90 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2024/07/cranberry-posset.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

posset

dessert

British

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @karenskitchenstories.com on instagram and hashtag it #karenskitchenstories

Welcome to this year’s #SummerDessertWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. We've got 15 spectacular bloggers creating summer-themed dessert recipes that we're going to be sharing with you all week! You can find them on our blogs (some of those recipe links posted in this post) and on social media with the hashtag #SummerDessertWeek.

Check out Friday's Recipes:

Glazed Blueberry Cake Donuts from Jolene's Recipe Journal

Cranberry Posset from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Strawberry Piñata Cupcakes from Blogghetti

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Terrine from Sweet ReciPEAs

Snickers Apple Salad from Cheese Curd In Paradise

Mango Sorbet from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Blackberry Lemon Bread from Jen Around the World

Cookie Dough Cupcakes from It's Shanaka

Team USA Cheesecake Fruit Tarts from For the Love of Food