Raspberry and Rose Posset Delight Recipe

The British certainly know their way around desserts, with a vast history of puddings that are comforting, rich, and oh so sweet. Unless you’ve grown up around the wealth of unusually named traditional British desserts you’ll be forgiven for confusing the wide variety of cool, creamy pudding options available to you. From fruit fools to Eton messes, there are a lot to choose from, and the elegant and understated posset is definitely one to add to your repertoire.

This raspberry rose posset recipe, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, is quick and easy to assemble, light, creamy, and utterly mouthwatering. Perfect as a light dessert option, and ideal enjoyed in the summer months when raspberries are in season, this recipe is definitely one to keep in mind. Whether you are wanting something quick and sweet to enjoy at a picnic, or to serve for pudding at a dinner party, the posset is versatile and simple yet sophisticated. The sugar and cream base is heated up and then raspberry puree and rose water are whisked into the mixture. The posset is then left to set, creating a silky smooth, cool and creamy dessert that is sweet yet tart with raspberries and softened with floral rose flavors, for a beautiful and elegant dessert option everyone will enjoy.

To begin this raspberry rose posset recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. You will want frozen raspberries, heavy cream, granulated sugar, and rose water. To decorate the posset you might also want to use fresh raspberries and dried rose buds or rose petals.

Blend the raspberries in a mixer to make a puree.‌

Pass the raspberry puree through a fine mesh to remove any seeds.

In a heavy bottomed pan, add the heavy cream and sugar.‌

Heat the mixture over a medium-high temperature until it is just boiling. Lightly boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.‌

Stir in the raspberry puree and the rose water.‌

Divide the mixture between 4 serving glasses. Cool slightly and then transfer to the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.

Decorate with a few fresh raspberries and rose petals before serving.

With so many cream-based desserts out there, it can be hard to keep track of your parfaits from your possets. The posset is a traditional dessert of British origin which has its place in the history books. While it is now known as a sweet, chilled, fruit-based dessert, posset was originally considered to be a health tonic and was a drink taken as medicine for a wide variety of maladies.

The posset has changed a lot since it’s beginnings as a curative beverage, and is now somewhat akin to an American pudding or a custard. It uses a base of sugar and cream which are boiled together before being mixed with acidic fruits that help to thicken the mixture. When cooled then chilled, it becomes a silky smooth and light dessert option, almost like a creamy yogurt but with added decadence and sophistication. The posset is very similar to a fruit fool, another traditional British dessert. However, a posset uses heat and the acidity of fruit to create its thickened custard-like texture, whereas a fruit fool folds stewed and cooled fruit into whipped fruit or custard for a light and creamy dessert.

This raspberry and rose posset is a light dessert option with a sophisticated flavor, but it definitely isn’t the only option available to you. For smaller changes, the rose water can be swapped out for a variety of different ingredients that pair well with the raspberry. Champagne, orange blossom, or mint all lend different yet elegant flavors to the posset and would work well for a unique dessert offering at a dinner party. For simpler, yet equally delicious options, vanilla or lemon work well with raspberry, or you can omit this ingredient entirely for a creamy pure berry flavored pudding.

For bigger flavor swaps, consider swapping out the raspberry flavor for tart lemons. This is considered to be perhaps the most classic variation on this dessert, and raspberries could be incorporated in the decoration for a pop of color and berry flavor. Alternatively, orange, lime, and gooseberry make great flavor options for possets, and all contain enough natural acids to produce the desired posset texture. 

Finally, you don’t need to stick to raspberry, if you are a berry lover then why not go all out and make a fruits of the forest-style posset? Whatever you choose, you can add other elements to the dessert by adding a flavored whipped cream and varying the decorations you choose for your posset, for a wonderfully simple and delicious pudding option no matter the occasion.