This lemon and passion fruit posset is always a hit at the cookery school. People cannot believe how easy it is to make and how impressive it looks. It is light and refreshing and ideal for a Sunday lunch. The posset texture is produced by the reaction between the lemon juice, sugar and cream. Adding the passion fruit gives it great flavour. It is also lovely with ice cream or sorbet. If you don’t fancy serving it with the almond biscotti, any type of shortbread biscuit will be fine.

Eton mess is believed to have to have been served in the famous Eton school at their cricket matches since the late 1800s. It has stood the test of time. It is fantastic to see so many people growing their own rhubarb these days and it is great in combination with ginger. Rhubarb gives that wonderful tartness. You will find the stem ginger in syrup in most supermarkets. For the final homemade touch you might like to make your own meringues.

Happy cooking,

Neven.

Lemon and passion fruit posset

Serves four to six

1 litre (1¾ pints) cream

250g (9oz) caster sugar

juice and rind of 3 lemons

2 large passion fruit

12 raspberries

Almond biscotti, to serve (optional)

  • Place 900ml (1½ pints) of cream in a pan with the sugar, lemon rind and juice. Cut the passion fruits in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp into the pan. Bring to the boil and boil for three minutes.
  • Leave the mixture to cool slightly. Then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a jug. Pour into four to six stemmed glasses, depending on their size. Chill for at least one to two hours, but overnight is best.
  • Pour 5mm (¼ pint) of the remaining cream on top of each posset to balance the richness. Decorate with the raspberries and set on plates. Serve with almond biscotti on the side, if liked.

    • Rhubarb and ginger Eton mess

    Serves four

    550g (1¼lb) rhubarb

    75g (3oz) caster sugar

    2 pieces of stem ginger in syrup, drained and finely chopped

    450ml (¾ pint) cream

    3 tbsp sifted icing sugar

    225g (8oz) meringues (shop-bought is fine), broken up into bite sized pieces

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6).
  • Trim the rhubarb and cut into 2.5cm (1in) pieces. Tip into a shallow baking dish and sprinkle over the caster sugar. Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the foil from the rhubarb and check that all the sugar has dissolved. Give it a good shake, sprinkle over the stem ginger and roast for another five minutes until the rhubarb is tender but not mushy and the juices are syrupy. Leave to cool.
  • Whip the cream and icing sugar in a bowl until soft peaks form. Spoon some of the sweetened cream into the bottom of a serving bowl and scatter over some of the broken-up meringue. Then spoon the roasted rhubarb and ginger mixture on top. Repeat these layers until the bowl is full, finishing with a layer of cream.

    • Serve immediately and enjoy.