VIV BRONSON, head chef at award-winning Compton Acres Café and Tearooms in Poole, shares one of her favourite recipes Raspberry & Lemon Posset with Pistachio Biscotti.

Viv told Taste: “Posset was first mentioned in the Buke of Nurture in 1460 and was frequently used as the basis of other recipes, but has over the centuries evolved into the sweet yet tart creamy dessert delight we make today. I have added raspberries because they bring a delicacy to the taste of the posset and also hark back to our culinary and rural past.

“Yet, the real twist to this dessert is the biscotti. First created in Tuscany with a legacy as far back as the Roman Empire and originally baked to be dunked in the sweet wine of the region, it struck me that it would be the perfect way to scoop up the posset.

"Whereas recipes for traditional biscotti include almonds, I have used pistachio, a nut that was grown in the Middle East (modern-day Syria) as early as 6750 BC!

Imagine. In bringing these ingredients together in one dessert, and following my recipe below will not only leave you craving more but transport you across centuries, empires and cultures, and conjure up times past the very moment you dip your biscotti in the deeply creamy delicious posset!"

Here’s how to make the Raspberry & Lemon Posset:

6 serving glasses

300g of raspberries

450ml double cream

130g caster sugar

Freshly squeezed 2 large lemons

Divide the raspberries between the serving glasses. Mix the cream and sugar together in a saucepan over a high heat and bring to to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and whisk thoroughly. Pass this mix through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave to cool for about 5 minutes.

Skim off any air bubbles, then pour the posset into your serving glasses.

Leave to cool completely, then place in the glasses in the fridge for at least two hours.

For the biscotti:

120g pistachio nuts

3 egg whites (approx 106g)

Zest of 1 lemon

125g caster sugar

100g plain flour, sifted

Preheat the oven to 150*C and very lightly toast the pistachio nuts for no more than 5 minutes. Whisk the egg whites until softly foaming, and then slowly add the caster sugar until it has all been incorporated. Continue whisking to a stiff meringue.

Gently fold in the lemon zest, followed by the sifted flour and lastly, the nuts. Transfer the mixture to a parchment lined tin or baking tray and shape into a long, shallow rectangular shape, around 30 x 10cm. Bake until the biscotti dough is firm to the touch and a light golden brown in colour. Allow to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 140C. Turn the biscotti dough out onto a cutting board or worktop and peel away the baking paper.

Carefully slice it into 1/2cm thick pieces; a sharp serrated knife is best. Arrange the slices on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake for eight minutes before turning the slices over.

Repeat until the biscotti are completely dry.

Do not allow them to take on too much colour; reduce the oven temperature a little if necessary. Allow to cool completely. If stored in an airtight container the biscotti will keep for up to one month.