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Cranberry Posset with Graham Cracker Crumbs

By Annie Petito

Published on June 5, 2023

Time

35 minutes plus 3 hours 20 minutes cooling and chilling

Yield

Serves 6

Cranberry Posset with Graham Cracker Crumbs

Ingredients

Posset

2 cups heavy cream ⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar 6 tablespoons unsweetened cranberry juice

Graham Cracker Crumbs

3 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1½ teaspoons sugar Pinch table salt

Before You Begin

Be sure to use unsweetened juice. Juice made not from concentrate is preferable; the dessert's flavor will be brighter. This dessert requires individual serving cups. Reducing the cream mixture to exactly 2 cups creates the desired consistency. Transfer the liquid to a 2-cup heatproof liquid measuring cup once or twice during boiling to monitor the amount.

Instructions

    for the posset

  1. Combine cream and sugar in medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Continue to boil, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar. If mixture begins to boil over, briefly remove from heat. Cook until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, 8 to 12 minutes.
  2. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cranberry juice. Let sit until mixture is cooled slightly and skin forms on top, about 20 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into bowl. Divide mixture evenly among 6 individual ramekins or serving glasses. Refrigerate, uncovered, until set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days (if chilling for more than 3 hours, cover each ramekin).
  3. for the graham cracker crumbs

  4. Pulse graham crackers in food processor to fine crumbs, about 15 pulses. Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer graham cracker topping to small bowl. (Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
  5. When ready to serve, uncover possets, if needed, and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Divide graham cracker crumbs evenly among possets and serve.
Cranberry Posset with Graham Cracker Crumbs
Photography by Beth Fuller. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Cranberry Posset with Graham Cracker Crumbs

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Time

35 minutes plus 3 hours 20 minutes cooling and chilling

Yield

Serves 6

Ingredients

Posset

2 cups heavy cream
⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cranberry juice

Graham Cracker Crumbs

3 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons sugar
Pinch table salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Posset

2 cups heavy cream
⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cranberry juice

Graham Cracker Crumbs

3 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons sugar
Pinch table salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Posset

2 cups heavy cream
⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cranberry juice

Graham Cracker Crumbs

3 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons sugar
Pinch table salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Our lemon posset recipe has always been very popular. The rich and silky British dessert is easy to make and calls for only cream, lemon juice, and sugar. The right proportions of ingredients are key to a smooth, luxurious consistency, and for an optimally dense, firm set, we reduce the cream-sugar mixture to 2 cups to evaporate some of the water before adding the juice. A properly set posset also depends on the specific pH of lemon juice, which is about 2.6. Cranberry juice has the same pH as lemon juice and could be swapped directly in for the lemon juice to still produce a perfect posset. Pairing each new fruity flavor of posset with a different topping gave the desserts textural contrast.

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Before You Begin

Be sure to use unsweetened juice. Juice made not from concentrate is preferable; the dessert's flavor will be brighter. This dessert requires individual serving cups. Reducing the cream mixture to exactly 2 cups creates the desired consistency. Transfer the liquid to a 2-cup heatproof liquid measuring cup once or twice during boiling to monitor the amount.

Instructions

    for the posset

  1. Combine cream and sugar in medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Continue to boil, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar. If mixture begins to boil over, briefly remove from heat. Cook until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, 8 to 12 minutes.
  2. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cranberry juice. Let sit until mixture is cooled slightly and skin forms on top, about 20 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into bowl. Divide mixture evenly among 6 individual ramekins or serving glasses. Refrigerate, uncovered, until set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days (if chilling for more than 3 hours, cover each ramekin).
  3. for the graham cracker crumbs

  4. Pulse graham crackers in food processor to fine crumbs, about 15 pulses. Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer graham cracker topping to small bowl. (Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
  5. When ready to serve, uncover possets, if needed, and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Divide graham cracker crumbs evenly among possets and serve.

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