Chocolate and orange is a favourite festive combination, and this dessert plays with textures to create a memorable treat for the end of your meal.
Ingredients
Serves 8
For the possets:
- 400ml (14fl oz/1 3/4 cups) cream
- 90g (3 1/2oz/scant 1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 50ml (2fl oz/1/4 cup) lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons of finely grated tangerine zest
For the jelly:
- 7 -8 large tangerines
- Posset recipe as above
- 1 ½ leaves gelatine
For the chocolate leaves:
- 100g chocolate 50-60% cocoa solids
- Firm glossy leaves such as holly or bay
Method
For the possets:
- Mix 250ml softly whipped cream with 1 teaspoon tangerine or orange zest and 1 tablespoon orange liqueur.
- Place the cream and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a bare simmer.
- Stir the saucepan occasionally to encourage the sugar to dissolve. Maintain that bare simmer for five minutes.
- If the cream boils hard the texture and consistency of the posset will be spoiled.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Allow the mixture to cool to tepid before whisking in the orange zest.
- Pour the mixture into eight little cups or glasses and place in the fridge for three hours to set.
- The posset will keep perfectly in your fridge for two days. I like to cover them to protect the delicate flavour.
- Serve the possets with softly whipped flavoured cream.
For the chocolate leaves:
- Melt the chocolate and carefully paint the shiny surface of the leaves.
- Place on a sheet of parchment paper and chill in the fridge until completely cold and set.
- Peel the chocolate leaves off the natural leaves and return to the fridge until ready to serve.
For the jelly:
- Carefully cut the tangerines in half around the equator.
- Scoop out all of the flesh from the tangerine halves and fill almost to the top with the posset.
- Place the tangerine shells on a bun tray and chill.
- Squeeze the juice from the tangerine flesh to achieve 250ml.
- Place the gelatine leaves in a bowl and cover with cold water.
- After a few minutes they will have softened and collapsed.
- Lift them out of the water and shake off any excess liquid.
- Place in a very small saucepan and cover with 50ml of the tangerine juice.
- Place the saucepan on a very low heat and allow the juice to warm sufficiently to melt the gelatine.
- This does not take long and the liquid probably won't even reach a simmer.
- Add the remaining juice to the saucepan and stir well.
- Place the juice in a jug and chill. Do not however allow it to chill to the point where it is starting to set.
- When the possets setting in the tangerine shells are set, carefully pour the chilling jelly mixture into each one allowing it to come right to the top of the shell.
- Replace in the fridge until completely set.
- Serve with flavoured orange cream and chocolate leaves.
