Syllabub — the ancient Mediterranean-British wine-and-cream classic
Syllabub is one of the great surviving Renaissance-era desserts of Britain and the wider Mediterranean: cream curdled with sweet wine or sherry, lemon and sugar, then chilled. The texture is light and faintly creamy-set; the flavour is wine-bright, faintly sour, and very old-fashioned.
i. Origin & history
Syllabub appears in English cookbooks from the 16th century and was once made by milking a cow directly into a bowl of wine. Modern versions skip the dairy cow but otherwise follow the original closely. The dessert is also associated with the Greek islands, where similar yoghurt-and-honey curdled creams appear.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 4 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 100 ml sweet sherry or dessert wine
- 60 g caster sugar
- 300 ml double cream
- Whole nutmeg, to grate
- Lemon zest curls, to garnish
iii. Method
- Combine zest, juice, wine and sugar in a bowl. Steep at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Pour cream into the bowl. Whisk by hand in slow, lifting strokes until the cream just thickens and holds soft peaks — about 4 minutes. Do not over-whip; it should remain pourable.
- Spoon into glasses or coupes. Grate fresh nutmeg over each. Garnish with lemon zest curls. Eat within hours — syllabub separates if held overnight.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Solid syllabub is whipped longer and sets in a glass. Whipped syllabub (described here) is loose. Brandy syllabub uses brandy in place of sherry. Cypriot variant uses Commandaria wine.
vi. Common questions
What is syllabub?
Syllabub is the ancient mediterranean-british wine-and-cream classic, from turkish & mediterranean cuisine. The texture is light and faintly creamy-set; the flavour is wine-bright, faintly sour, and very old-fashioned
Where is syllabub from?
Syllabub is from the turkish & mediterranean dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does syllabub keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: Best within hours.