There were many foods cooked in the country house this week. Multi-step recipes, lobster stock from scratch. Recipes requiring two pounds of shredded (by hand) root vegetables.

Yet, despite the bloody knuckles and missing bits of fingernails, the boiling, chilling, straining, grating and vigilant stirring, the only thing to trump Grandma’s pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving was a simple British pudding with a very fancy-sounding name: Cranberry Lemon Posset.

I decided to make this dessert on a whim. I wanted something light and simple, untraditional, but still slightly festive to finish off the meal. 

With just four ingredients (lemon, cranberry, cream and sugar), I’m already plotting its next few reincarnations. Though from what I hear, this version can hold its own just fine.

Cranberry Lemon Posset

Ingredients 

3 oz fresh cranberries
1/2 c water
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 1/4 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
zest of 1/2 a lemon 

Method

1. Boil water. Add cranberries and cook down until cranberries pop and turn to mush. Remove from heat.

2. In a separate pot, bring cream and sugar to boil over medium heat, allowing sugar to dissolve. Increase heat and boil for 3 minutes. Watch carefully and stir so cream doesn’t boil over. Remove from heat.

3. Stir in lemon juice, 3T of cranberry reduction and lemon zest. Divide among 4-6 cups.

4. Chill at least four hours, or overnight to set.

N.B. Variations for next times:

rosemary + grapefruit + cream + honey
coconut + lime + cream + honey
cocoa + basil + cream + sugar