Name: Limoncello dessert pots recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves: 6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 375g pack sweet dessert pastry; 1 egg yolk; a few drops almond extract; 30g flaked almonds; 2tsp demerara sugar

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 2 August 2023

Our limoncello dessert pots are subtly boozy and bursting with flavour. The combination of lemon, cream, almonds and limoncello is hard to beat!

If you’ve been looking for a special twist on a lemon posset, these limoncello dessert pots are perfect. The ideal dessert for your adults-only dinner party, they can be prepared ahead and look impressive. You’ll have leftover biscuits to snack on for a few days too - winning! For a speedier dessert serve with shop-bought shortbread or your favourite biscuit.

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

375g pack sweet dessert pastry
1 egg yolk
a few drops almond extract
30g flaked almonds
2tsp demerara sugar

For the lemon filling:

250g lemon curd
5tbsp limoncello
500ml half fat crème fraiche

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Method

Heat oven to 190C (170C fan, Gas 5). Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to approx 12 x 40cm.
Lightly beat the egg yolk and almond extract together and brush over the surface. Sprinkle the pastry with the almonds and sugar, then cut into 2.5cm strips.
Put onto a baking sheet lined with paper and bake for 10-12 min until golden. Leave for a few mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Mix together 100g lemon curd with 2tbsp Limoncello and spoon into the base of 6 small glasses.
Whisk the crème fraiche to thicken slightly, add the remaining lemon curd, limoncello and lemon juice. Briefly whisk to combine. Spoon into the glasses and chill for at least 30 mins before serving with the biscuits.

Top tips for making limoncello dessert pots

If you’re buying a bottle of limoncello to make this dessert and need some ideas for how to use it up, we have plenty of suggestions below. The biscuits can be made the day ahead if you like. Store in an airtight container. Leftover biscuits will last for a couple of days and are a great afternoon snack.

Do you drink limoncello straight or mixed?

You can enjoy the Italian liqueur on its own, over ice or with a mixer. Food writer Jessica Ransom says: ‘If you love an aperol spritz but fancy something a little sweeter try making it with limoncello instead. Simply add a measure to a glass filled with ice, top with prosecco and finish with a splash of soda.’

What is the best way to use limoncello?

If you have leftover limoncello after making this dessert and don’t fancy drinking it we have plenty of ideas. Try mixing 3tbsp with a 500g tub of Greek yogurt and 1tbsp icing sugar. Serve with fresh berries for an easy summer dessert.

Alternatively, heat 3tbsp limoncello with the juice of 1 lemon and 60g caster sugar to make a syrup you can drizzle over a plain cake sponge. If you like cheesecake, you can add 2tbsp limoncello with the zest and juice of a lemon to your cheesecake mix for a subtle boozy flavour.

Drink pairing for limoncello pot dessert

If you’re hosting a dinner party and want to include wine pairings, we recommend serving these limoncello pots with an Italian sparkling Asti. It comes from the Piedmont region of Italy. The sweetness of the desert will be matched by the wine and the bubbles and acidity will compliment the citrus flavours.

We like to serve this dessert in small glasses. If your glassware could use an update, consider investing in these classic tumblers from Ocado.

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We love the retro design of these small, durable tumbler glasses. Duralex glass is 2.5 times more resistant to breakage and chipping compared to normal glass so these are an excellent option if you’re a little clumsy. Once you’re finished serving the dessert in them, they are perfect for water or little cocktails.

If you need a recipe the whole family can enjoy, try our lemon tart or lemon meringue pie which look and taste very impressive. For something simpler, our lemon creams and lemon pudding are great choices. You might also like our lemon drizzle cake, it’s one of the most popular recipes on the site.

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.