OK here it is … your simplest summer dessert! Chloe came along and saved the day with more patience than me.

This amazing lemon posset is typically made with double cream but we discovered that full-fat coconut milk works just as well.

It’s then automatically a great vegan option and suits those with lactose intolerance too.

Plus it skips a dose of animal-based saturated fats and although I wouldn’t be recommending coconut milk every day, it’s a much healthier option when you want something rich and creamy!

Now listen, there is sugar in this dessert … so why do I think it’s healthy? It’s not as healthy as a salad, that’s for sure.

But I really do believe in balance, and a dessert made from three simple, natural ingredients fits the bill for me.

Also, the trick is to eat dessert after a protein-rich, carb-light meal. For example, have grilled chicken or salmon and tons of green veg for your main course.

Skipping rice, potatoes, pasta (and even starchy veg such as corn, carrots or squash), helps to reduce your total carbohydrate load.

You really don’t need pasta and dessert! If you want to feel even better about it, then go for a quick ten-minute walk after dinner.

The data shows us that even just ten minutes of exercise is helpful for reducing a post-meal sugar spike. (For more information on this and other great blood sugar-balancing tips, follow French biochemist Jessie Inchauspe on Instagram as @glucosegoddess.)

The original recipe I based this on used the lemon skins as bowls for the posset. I didn’t actually like this as it was fiddly and some of the lemons had been zested, leaving them looking a little rough around the edges.

But I’ve no doubt that some of you out there could make it look wonderful! Keep it in mind as an option.

Whichever you choose, make sure your serving dish is small as it’s so rich, you really just want a little. This of course helps to keep it on the healthier side too.

Ultimately, this is easy to do and you can make it up to 48 hours in advance.

If you’ve always wanted to be a relaxed host but find yourself flustered and fussing around at the last minute, then this is the dessert for you. Enjoy!

Lemon Posset (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

3 lemons, juice of 3, zest of 2

600ml (two tins) full fat organic unsweetened coconut milk, preferably with no gums added (eg Native Forest).

180g granulated sugar

Method:

1, Keep the coconut milk at room temperature. Open carefully (don’t shake it) and only use the thicker part. You can discard the more clear liquid part at the bottom.

2, Wash two lemons well and zest them. Make sure to only get the very top layer of the skin, not the white part underneath the yellow pigment, which is more bitter.

3, Cut all three lemons in half lengthways. With a fine-edged spoon, scoop out the flesh, cut it and juice it by pushing the flesh through a sieve or by using a lemon press.

4, Heat the coconut milk, sugar and three quarters of the lemon zest over a low heat until it starts gently bubbling, for about ten minutes. Then whisk in the lemon juice.

5, Pour the mixture through a sieve again to remove the lemon zest. I sieved this into a glass cooking jug which made the next step easier.

6, Pour the mix into small ramekins or tiny mason jars and set in the fridge (at least three hours, but preferably overnight).

7, Sprinkle with some remaining lemon zest once the mixture has set. You could pop a fresh raspberry on top of each one before serving (optional). These keep well in the fridge for three days, so they are easy to make in advance!

Catherine Burns is a fully qualified clinical nutritionist. She can be contacted at 291-4725, clinicalnutrition@gmail.com, Facebook or Instagram