Simple Lemon Syllabub
Syllabub is a dessert that has been around for centuries. I first heard of it in a Tamera Alexander novel (which coincidentally features one of my recipes in the back!) and since it was the beloved favorite of one of the lead characters, my interest as a cook was piqued. I immediately made a version of it and understood full well what all the hub bub was about! Since then, I’ve heard this recipe pop up in all sorts of places, and Mama said they even had it on Downton Abbey a few weeks back.
Love You Some Whipped Cream? You Will Love this Dessert!
You know how you always want a little more whipped cream because it is so good? Well, this dessert is basically glorified whipped cream! If you love lemon meringue pie like me, you’ll especially love this because it kinda ends up tasting like lemon meringue pie flavored whipped cream. It’s just delightfully decadent.
Finally a Simple Recipe for Syllabub
Most recipes online are pretty complicated and I have a firm believe that food and life are really simple, we just insist on complicating them. One of the things I like to do is simplify – so here is my recipe 🙂
Recipe Ingredients:
- Sugar
- One Lemon
- Apple Juice
- Heavy (whipping) Cream.
- *Most recipes call for white wine, but I use apple juice instead. If you enjoy the taste of wine, feel free to substitute.
How to Make A Syllabub
Before starting, zest and juice lemon.
You can zest it with a microplane, zester, or even a cheese grater if you are careful.
How To Zest A Lemon
Don’t push down too much when zesting the lemon, you really want to get the thin yellow peel off without delving into the bitter white part. You can see from this picture that I’m just barely taking the outside skin off, not digging so deep as to hit white.
Note: If you do get too deep and hit white, it’ll be fine. Just keep on going and pretend you didn’t. You know, just like when you turn a corner and run over the curb. Yeah, that never happened either 🙂
To juice it, just cut it in half and squeeze it as best you can into a bowl.
The juice of one lemon is fine.
You can do lemon juice from a bottle but you won’t end up with as much flavor without the zest. If you use bottle lemon juice (which I don’t really recommend, but it will work) add about 1/4 of a cup of it.
This is the part where a lot of recipes have you placing the cream in a bowl and whipping that a little, then gradually adding sugar, then gradually adding juices, etc in a most dainty fashion whilst babying the whole mixture.
In MY recipe, this is the part where you dump every single ingredient into a big old mixing bowl and beat it like it called your mama ugly. Or until thick and slightly stiff 🙂
Like this.
Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Garnish with fresh berries, if desired. Best if served the same day.
To get my Lemon Meringue Pie recipe, please click here.
To get my Lemon Bar recipe, please click here.
To get my Lemon Blossom Cookie recipe, please click here.
Ingredients
- 1 + 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple juice
- Juice of one lemon
- zest of one lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Zest and juice lemon. Place all ingredients (including lemon juice and zest) in large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer, stopping to scrape down sides and stir from the bottom once, until thick and slightly stiff.
- Chill until ready to serve - serve same day.
Nutrition
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Looks yummy!
Haven’t read all the comments so don’t know if this was mentioned or not but wrap your minds and then your taste buds around this thought. Make your favorite lemon meringue pie (the one made with corn starch not condensed milk) and chill thoroughly. Now, instead of frosting with meringue,serve with generous dollops of syllabub! There would be a “lily gilded”! Love ya Christy!
Ohhhh. What a wonderful thought!!
Hi Christy,
I have never heard of Syllabub but now that I know what it is, my family and I will really enjoy it. We love whipped topping and eat it right from the container, spoonful after fluffy spoonful. Having a lemon flavor will make it all the better! Thanks for this recipe!
I can’t wait to hear how you like it Grace!!
Christy, maybe you could schedule a book signing in Williamsburg? They have a Barnes & Noble right at the edge of the historic district (and it doubles as the bookstore for the College of William & Mary!). Definitely recommend keeping Williamsburg on your wish list. I went with three girlfriends just in time to see the Christmas decorations and what they call the Grand Illumination – a set of synchronized fireworks to open the holiday season. Either way – family trip or girls’ trip – it is a fun and educational city.
Oh my goodness, that is a great idea Kim!
Christy,
I can remember being stationed in Holland and when we took the Hover Craft over to London, several times, we always made sure that we had Lemon Syllabub. Was and still is my favorite “Pudding”.
Oh what wonderful memories Jan!!
I’ve been intrigued by syllabub also! It was actually something I was considering making for Christmas dessert, but all the recipes I saw included alcohol, so I just figured that was just how it was made. I never thought of substituting something else. (I just went with Traditional English Trifle instead)
But now I can try this one! YAY!
Do you have any suggestions for some other flavors in addition to trying the lemon?
I am going to try this recipe today but my comment is….. I couldn’t help notice the desert dish you had it in.. When I was a child I remember you could buy peanut butter in these dishes with a pop off lid. I have six or eight of them. When I see one It automatically brings a vision of the peanut butter in them.
That is exactly what the dish is Sue!!