Ingredients

• 600ml/21fl oz double cream
• 150g/5oz caster sugar
• 2 large lemons
• zest and juice only
• 90g/3½oz icing sugar
• 185g/6½oz plain flour
• 60g/2½oz cornflour
• 30g/1oz ground almonds
• 250g/9oz butter
• cut into cubes
• plus extra for greasing
• 2 drops almond essence
• 75g/3oz lemon curd
• icing sugar
• for dusting

Directions

• For the posset
• place the double cream and the sugar into a large pan over a low heat and bring to the boil slowly. Boil for three minutes
• then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk well.
• Pour the lemon cream mixture into six large serving glasses and refrigerate for three hours.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.
• For the shortbread
• sift the icing sugar
• flour and cornflour together into a bowl and add the ground almonds.
• Transfer the flour mixture to a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until there are no visible lumps of butter.
• Add the almond essence. Pulse again
• then turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and bring together to form a smooth dough.
• Grease a muffin tray with butter.
• Divide the dough up and roll into small balls. Place the balls into the muffin cups
• flattening the tops slightly with your fingers. The dough should come about one third of the way up the side of each muffin cup to give a nice proportion to the finished biscuit.
• Transfer to the oven and bake the shortbreads for 8-12 minutes
• until they are a light golden colour.
• Remove from the oven
• allow to cool slightly
• then
• using your thumb
• make a small indentation into the top of each biscuit.
• Let the shortbreads cool for a few minutes
• then turn the mould over and tap the shortbreads out. (Be gentle
• as the biscuits are fragile while they are still warm.)
• When all the shortbreads are baked and cooled
• dust the tops with icing sugar.
• Fill the indentations in the biscuits with lemon curd.
• To serve
• place the lemon possets onto plates with a shortbread alongside. Sprinkle a little lemon zest on top
• if you want.