Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

1 Lemon zest; finely grated
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tb Brandy
4 tb White wine or sherry
3 oz Caster sugar
10 oz Double cream
Extra lemon zest or fresh
. mint sprigs for garnish

Mix together the lemon zest, juice, brandy and wine (or sherry) and
if you have time, cover and leave to stand for two hours. Then stir
in the sugar until dissolved. Whip the cream with a hand whisk (or
an electric beater on slow speed) until it begins to hold its shape.
Do not over-beat. Whisk in the lemon mixture a little bit at a time,
until standing in soft peaks. Pile into four stemmed glasses and
chill for at least two hours before serving. Decorate with thin
strips of lemon or a sprig of fresh mint and serve with sponge
fingers or thin biscuits (cookies).

** The London Daily Mail - 26 July 1995 ** Posted by The WEE Scot
~- Paul MacGregor

The Rest of the Story:

The syllabub is a Tudor invention. In its simplest form, a milkmaid
in the cowshed would direct a stream of new, warm milk into a large
bowl of spiced cider or ale.

Left standing for a while, a light curd formed on top with a delicous
whey underneath, a concoction then drunk.

The stiffer, more solid version we eat today evolved using cream
beaten with wine. In recipes published after his death in 1669, Sir
Kenelm Digby suggests 'a tiny sprig of rosemary or a little twist of
lemon peel be stuck into each little glass'.

Syllabub makes an excellent partner to soft summer fruits at this
time of year. Either sprinkle raspberries or sliced strawberries on
top or try sieved unsweetened raspberries added to the white wine in
place of lemon juice and pour it over ratafia biscuits.

Two readers Meryl Ambler from Hereford Worcester and Louise
Graegorczyk from London, sent in the following "cheat's" recipe for a
non-alcoholic Fake Syllabub. As Mrs Ambler says: 'Somehow this
recipe gives off a true syllabuby, slightly alcoholic flavor. You
find people will make suggestions -- "What is it? Kirsch? Sherry?"

Beat 10 floz (300ml) double cream with 5 floz (150ml) single cream
until stiff. Fold in 4 Tbsp caster sugar, the juice of a lemon with
the grated peel of a lemon and a grapefruit. Fill tall, pretty glass
dishes and put in the fridge. Decorate with chopped nuts or a slice
of lemon, twisted, and serve with shortbread biscuits.

There are many variations: some recipes use sherry with brandy, others
white wine. The 'true' method requires a statutory overnight
marinating of the lemon peel with the brandy, wine and juice, then
straining before use. But it's much quicker to use grated lemon zest
and skip the overnight marinating.

But beware -- overzealous grating can lead to bitterness and wreck
this pudding. The best flavour lies in the top yellow coat of the
lemon's skin: use the fine holes of a grater and avoid the bitter
white pith.

One of the joys of a syllabub is it's best made in advance and happily
stands in a cool place -- not necessarily a fridge -- for a couple of
days. Submitted By PAUL MACGREGOR On 08-17-95

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