Spiced Cranberry-Orange Possets
A traditional English pudding with an ultracreamy texture, this holiday posset recipe has added layers of gingered cranberry sauce to give it a distinctively New England spin.
Spiced Cranberry-Orange Posset Recipe
Photo Credit : Krissy O"SheaA posset is a traditional English pudding with an ultracreamy texture. It contains no eggs, just heavy cream, citrus, and sugar, but we’ve added layers of gingered cranberry sauce for a New England spin. The best part: It can be prepared up to two days in advance, freeing up precious oven space. You can serve this posset recipe in any 4-to-6-ounce cups you like, as long as they can withstand both hot and cold temperatures.
Yield:
8 servingsFor the Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-inch piece of fresh ginger
Instructions
Make the cranberry sauce: Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until cranberries burst, about 10 minutes. Return to a hard boil for three minutes, then remove from heat. Take out ginger and discard. Let sauce stand 30 minutes to thicken.
For the Possets
Ingredients
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
Zest from 2 oranges, peeled into strips
24 gingersnap cookies
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
Next, make the possets: Bring the cream, sugar, and zest to a simmer over medium heat. Stir until sugar is just dissolved, then remove from heat. Set aside to infuse for about 30 minutes.
Blitz the gingersnaps in a food processor, or roll in a plastic bag with a rolling pin until finely ground (a few chunks are OK). Add butter and stir to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the eight serving cups, then gently pack down with your fingers. Spoon 3 tablespoons of cooled cranberry sauce in an even layer over the crust. Place vessels on a tray and set in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
While the pots are chilling, remove orange zest from the cream mixture and bring it back to a rolling boil for three minutes, stirring occasionally and watching carefully that it doesn’t boil over. Remove from heat and whisk in citrus juices. Strain the mixture into a large measuring cup. Add the cream mixture to the cups. Let the possets cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until set, at least three hours and up to two days.
Just before serving, warm the remaining cranberry sauce, being careful not to make it too hot or it will melt the filling. Top each posset with a bit of cranberry sauce—and, if you like, a curl of orange zest—before serving.
