I am totally smitten with these Pomegranate Possets. Incredibly elegant, they use only 4 ingredients and take just minutes to prepare.
Hard to believe until you try it, but these custards require only heavy cream, sugar, and flavoring.
Posset originated in England in the Middle Ages as a thickened drink to cure colds and fever. Featured in at least three Shakespearean plays (Hamlet, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Macbeth), the posset evolved into custard, traditionally flavored with lemon.
Possets have become all the rage among British chefs in recent days, and they are making their way across the pond too. Most of the versions I found on both sides of the Atlantic, including those on Food52, Cooks Illustrated, and Bon Appetit, stick to traditional citrus flavoring. I can’t remember when I first learned of possets, but I remember being intrigued.
When Susan of The Wimpy Vegetarian announced that our Progressive Eats theme for December would be a Middle Eastern/Moroccan menu, I immediately decided to make single serving possets featuring Middle Eastern flavors. I chose pomegranates and pistachios because they have Middle Eastern roots and go well together.
Pomegranates have a long history in the Middle East. The fruit originated in Persia (now Iran) and the Bible and the Quran both mention pomegranates. Pistachios are also native to the Middle East. The Queen of Sheba supposedly declared pistachios as royal food. If that’s true, I can understand why. They have an exotic taste that elevates Middle Eastern desserts such as baklava and knafeh.
For Pomegranate Possets, pomegranate juice is the flavoring in the silky custard, with pomegranate seeds and chopped, lightly roasted pistachios as a topping. Most possets are only a smooth custard, with a garnish just for color contrast. By contrast, my possets feature the toppings.
My taste testers and I agreed that the concentrated tang of the pomegranate seeds and the crunch of the pistachios truly took these Pomegranate Possets up a notch. The marriage of creamy and crunchy is enchanting.
Pomegranate Possets - Easiest Elegant Custard
Ingredients
- 1 large pomegranate
- 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- handful chopped, lightly toasted pistachios
Instructions
Juicing the pomegranate
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See note below for video on how to juice the pomegranate by hand. (No blender or juicer required - just the pomegranate, a fork, and a bowl.) Measure out 1/2 cup and set that juice aside. After you have juiced the pomegranate, open it and reserve a handful of the best looking seeds. Refrigerate them in a closed container to use as topping for the possets just before serving.
Making the possets
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Gently bring the heavy cream and sugar to a boil in a heavy, medium-sized pot. Start at a medium low heat, stirring frequently, and raise the stove heat to medium-high, being careful not to let the cream boil over.
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Boil the cream and sugar for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. If necessary to prevent the mixture from boiling over, lower the heat. Immediately remove the pot from the heat.
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Add the pomegranate juice, stirring until the mixture is just about a uniform color. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.
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Pour the mixture into six 1/2 cup ramekins and refrigerate them for at least 4 hours or overnight.
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Just before serving, add the topping (reserved pomegranate seeds and chopped, lightly toasted pistachios.)
Recipe Notes
Use the method in my video for juicing the pomegranate. While you can use whipping cream as a substitute for heavy cream, the latter is preferable because it does not contain guar grum or other additives useful in whipping the cream.
Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month we’re sharing a Middle Eastern/Moroccan Menu, and our event is hosted by Susan, who blogs at The Wimpy Vegetarian. We have a full menu of ideas to tempt you into the kitchen and release your inner-Ottolenghi. If you’re looking for something new to try, check out these wonderfully creative dishes!
Progressive Eats Middle Eastern/Moroccan Menu
Cocktail
- Pomegranate Green Tea Mojito from The Redhead Baker
Appetizer
- Hummus Tehina from Food Hunters Guide to Cuisine
Main Dishes
- Lamb Chelo Kebab from Spice Roots
- Prawns, Feta, and Tomatoes over Couscous from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Bread
- Homemade Pita Bread from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Side Dish
- Jeweled Persian-Style Rice (Gluten-Free) from The Heritage Cook
Desserts
- Pomegranate Posset from Mother Would Know
- Moroccan Shortbread Cookies with Cracked Tops (Ghoriba Bahla) from Pastry Chef Online
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, each month the host choses a theme. Members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.
We have a core group of 12 bloggers. However, we always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.
PS – A lovely reader (Juli) just commented that she made the possets with bottled pomegranate juice and used raspberries instead of pomegranate seeds because it was easier to find raspberries. Look how beautiful her dessert turned out. Thanks for the pic Juli.
My family loves custards—now I need to make a posset! Your pom version is gorgeous!!!
Thanks so much Liz. It’s super simple and definitely one of the best custards I’ve ever had.
Most definitely enchanting, these pomegranate/pistachio possets are stunning! What a perfect conclusion to our Middle Eastern/Moroccan feast for #ProgressiveEats. Fantastic choice Laura!!
Jane, Thanks so much. They were pretty, but that didn’t prevent us from digging in:)
OMG! These are adorable… PERFECT for the season, I am in love….
pinning for the near future!
Just a quick question… in the initial paragraph you mentioned butter as an ingredient, but I don’t see it in the recipe… can you clarify that for me?
thanks!
Ah Sally, what a great proof reader you are!! My son also caught that mistake and now it’s fixed – the only ingredients are heavy cream, sugar and flavoring (pomegranate juice.)
and the order of the universe is restored! 😉
thank you!
This is the perfect ending to any meal and perfect for the holidays!
Theresa, Many thanks. Yes, it seemed that way to us as we each ate ours and looked around to see if anyone else had any left:)
These look so inviting, Laura. I’ve only had lemon possets, but pomegranate ones sound perfect! Historically, I think the syllabub fits somewhere in the posset – custard lineage too, a dish I associate with the 1700’s (maybe inaccurately). I can dig into it – do you know by any chance?
I have forever been meaning to make a posset but now you have given me a wonderful idea and recipe. So elegant and beautiful!!
Ansh, I learn so much from you. So delighted I can return the favor.
Ohhh! I’ve made lemon posset before, but now you’ve expanded my Posset Horizons! How wonderful–and I agree, the creamy/crunchy combo is hard to resist, Laura!
Jenni, I’d never heard of possets before this one, but it doesn’t surprise me that you’re in the know about these little delights. My son and his boyfriend were adamant after tasting that we have lots of pomegranate seeds and pistachio nuts for the topping – they loved the creamy/crunchy combo, just like you.
Such a pretty and simple dessert, Laura. I’ve never made a posset before, but have seen them posted. Never seen a pomegranate posset, but the alliteration pulled me in and I can tell it’s delicious. Anything with heavy cream! Yours looks lovely.
Allie, Many thanks. I had never heard of possets until I looked for a simple dessert and the pomegranate version just seemed so natural with the pomegranate “staring” at me from my fridge.
I’ve not heard of the term possets, but I love pomegranates, and I have those mini souffle dishes, which means I “need” to make these, right?
Karen, Yes, you absolutely need to make these. And send me a pic:)
Will bottled pomegranate juice work for the posset? They are not in season right now, but that is. And TJs has pomegranate seeds already out of the shell but they are expensive. . . so I thought I could use those for the garnish.
Yes Juli, I think bottled pomegranate juice will work. Just make sure it doesn’t have any added ingredients. (I have noticed that sometimes straight and sweetened juices are sold right next to each other and it’s difficult to tell them apart by packaging. I know this because the cranberry juice I buy is sweetened and the “straight” cranberry juice is sold alongside in a similar container – I once picked up the “straight” version by accident and tried to drink it. Woah! Way too tart.)
I made it with bottled pomegranate juice (pure juice, no sugar or anything else — purchased from TJ’s) and then topped the possets with raspberries which are much easier to find when pomegranates are not in season. It came out great. If there is a way to post a photo here, let me know.
I made 12 portions instead of 6, which is a very nice portion after a fancy dinner.
Thanks,
Juli
Juli, What a fantastic way to change up the recipe. I’d love to see a photo and will post it myself – if you send it to me at laura at motherwouldknow dot com, I’ll put it at the end of the post with a PS. Many thanks for stopping by and for trying the recipe (with your creative changes.)
Just sent it.