This is one fool I’ll suffer gladly and it doesn’t have to be a raspberry fool. Strawberry fool, blackberry fool, blueberry fool are all welcome. Even red currant fool, which is why I learned to make this in the first place.
This dessert is a cousin to the trifle and goes back hundreds of years. In its simplest form, it’s just mashed or pureed berries and whipped cream, sweetened if you wish. I’ve added two ingredients and both are optional. I make a more complex version with cranberries, but fools say summer to me.
A fictional summer made me crave red currant fool; it features in EF Benson’s Mapp and Lucia, one of my favorite books and one in the Lucia series that’s set almost entirely during a blissful between-the-Wars English summer. One day — this was years ago in Manhattan — I spotted red currants at the market. As luck would have it, I’d been invited to an English-born friend’s house the following day so I bought the currants.
When I asked him how to make a fool he said, “Add whipping cream and beat like hell.” That’s not too far from the truth, although his wife was kind enough to explain how she makes it. That’s how I make it too.
Since fools existed long before appliances, you don’t need any fancy equipment although a mini-chop, processor or blender makes fast work of the pureeing. A whisk is all you need to whip the cream but a hand mixer’s fine too. I think of this as a casual dessert and rarely strain out the seeds, although I do drain the puree to remove extra liquid. For a more refined fool, do get rid of the seeds.
The toppings you see are my optional additons. I keep aside some whipped cream for a contrasting dollop on the top and like crushed — but not too finely — cookies on top for both contrast and texture. Vanilla wafers, gingersnaps and shortbread all work well.
Ella’s Raspberry Fool
1 pint raspberries (or other berries)
3/4 cup/5.25 ounces granulated or superfine (castor) sugar, divided*
1 1/2 cups/12 ounces heavy cream
Options:
1 TB light rum or 1 tsp almond extract
6 small cookies, crushed
*use less sugar if berries are very sweet
In a processor or blender, puree the berries — and optional rum or flavoring — until smooth. Strain out seeds, if desired. Transfer to a strainer regardless and let the puree drain while you whip the cream.
In a cold bowl with a whisk or beater, beat the cream for about one minute, until beginning to thicken. Add the remaining sugar and whip to the firm peak stage. Reserve a few tablespoons for topping, if desired.
Fold the puree into the whipped cream, leaving some streaks and visible white. Transfer to dessert dishes [I like to use wineglasses ~ ella] and top with whipped cream and crushed cookies, if using.
Serves 4
Ella’s note: For more about the Lucia books, with links to public-domain audio and print versions of the first one, follow the link below. It’s a good recipe too.
Related on From Scratch: Lucia and Georgie Chicken
Just for chuckles: After I wrote this, I noticed a video for making fools in the subscriber-only section of Cook’s Illustrated. My jaw dropped as I saw half the stuff in the kitchen being used. The list of equipment is too long to post here — really — but I wrote them down in a little text file. If you’d like to see how to make a simple recipe complicated, click here. It’ll open in a new window.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks Great! This proves desserts really don’t have to be complicated.
(But I like my whipped cream with vanilla extract!)
So why is this called a “fool”?
Hi, Kathy! I’m glad you asked that question because I cut it from the piece, knowing that I can tend to do an info dump. So here’s the answer:
Two theories about the name: one is that it’s from the French fouler, to crush. As in the berries.
The other, which I prefer, is tied to its kinship with trifle — which got its name as a trifling, or foolish, little dessert.
Fun stuff, either way. I’m happy you liked it!
(Whipped cream with vanilla = yum. Whipped cream with Framboise is fabulous in this!)
GREAT history~I always LOVE the histories behind things. This look sooo good~and so does that no bake berry pie!
Um, what time should I be over for dinner? LOL! Don’t I WISH!!!!! (((((HUGS))))) sandi
(((((HUGS))))) sandi’s last blog post..SiLLiNeSS!
{{{Sandi}}} – How are ya, girlfriend? I wish you could be here too…or I could be there! Aren’t raspberries the best?
mega hugs to you!
Ella I agree! keeping things simple is a great way to go. I personally really enjoy the slightly tart gooseberry or rhubarb flavours, redcurrant or blackcurrant has to taste GREAT!!! but in the kitchen raspberries are so versatile, fantastic summer flavours.
Jon
Red currant is delicious – so hard to find here. I haven’t had gooseberries since I was a girl, but I imagine they’d make a great fool, especially since I don’t have a strong sweet tooth.
One thing regarding the fool recipe, you may want to try this, adding a small amount of natural yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon.
I have some personal favourites I use for many recipes Danone is light and quite loose so not to much of this, greek yoghurt is thicker and wil hold the dessert together better, I often mix the two usually half and half, or Turkish yoghurt which is lighly set, not as thick as the greek and to me the real Turkish yoghurt has the most fantastic flavour with a slightly tart edge to it. Lemon gives it a real freshness to the dish and the yoghurt just adds that little something extra to the whipped cream for a richer flavour.
Jon
Excellent suggestion, Jon. Dannon (as it is here) still rules the roost, but smaller companies are making headway and Greek yogurts, both imports and Greek-style, are quite popular in my area. Haven’t seen Turkish yogurt (I haven’t looked, really), but we have Russian yogurts and kefirs that could work quite well.
Now the hard part is waiting for succulent berries!