Berry Fool Recipes

BLACKBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Halve, the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds, then place in a large pan along with 350g of the berries, the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to the boil over a medium heat.
• Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until syrupy and the berries are soft but holding their shape. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk the cream to form peaks, fold through the yogurt and swirl through a third of the syrup.
• Layer the rest of the syrup and cream in dessert glasses, garnish with syrup and fresh berries.

BLACKBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• In a blender, combine berries, sugar, and lemon juice; blend until smooth. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with a rubber spatula to push through. Discard seeds; transfer 1/2 cup berry puree to a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate; reserve for topping.
• In a large bowl, combine cream and vanilla; whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold remaining berry puree into cream. Spoon mixture into custard cups. Cover loosely and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to overnight). To serve, drizzle blackberry fools with reserved berry puree, and garnish with blackberries.

CHEF JOHN'S FRESH BERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Place raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries in a bowl. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir until sugar is mixed with fruit and juices begin to form. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Place heavy cream and creme fraiche in a cold bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until mixture has soft peaks and sharp lines, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Place some cookie crumbs in the bottom of each serving dish. Spoon in some of the fruit and a layer of whipped cream. Repeat layers, ending with a sprinkle of cookie crumbs.

BERRY-CHOCOLATE FOOLS

Steps:

• Toss 1 quart quartered strawberries with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a bowl. Beat 1 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Melt 2 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate in the microwave and cool slightly; fold into the whipped cream. Layer the cream and berries in glasses.

BLUEBERRY FOOLS

Steps:

• Make the blueberry sauce: Heat 1 1/2 cups blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar and the salt in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and juice; remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
• Beat the heavy cream in a bowl with a mixer or whisk until soft peaks just begin to form. Beat in the vanilla and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Gently fold all but 1/3 cup of the blueberry sauce into the whipped cream. Divide among glasses and top with the remaining blueberry sauce. Serve with cookies.

MIXED BERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Begin by tossing the chopped strawberries with the granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Add the heavy cream to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until soft peaks form.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form.
• Remove the whipped cream from the bowl and add it to another large bowl.
• Add the softened cream cheese and 2 cups of the chopped strawberries to the bowl of the stand mixer or bowl you whipped the cream in.
• Whip on high speed for 2 to 3 min. or until the cream cheese is light and fluffy and the strawberries have broken down.
• Gently fold 2/3 of the whipped cream into the strawberry-cream cheese mixture until combined.
• To assemble the fools, spoon about 1/3 cup of the strawberry cream into each of 8 parfait glasses. Sprinkle on some of the remaining chopped strawberries, blueberries and crushed graham crackers. Top each with another 1/3 cup dollop of the strawberry cream.
• Garnish with the remaining whipped cream and a few berries before serving.

BLACKBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Place the blackberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the granulated sugar, then drizzle with the vanilla. Toss lightly to evenly coat. Allow to steep for 10 minutes, then mash the blackberries until they release their juices and form a thick pulp.
• Combine the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in another medium bowl. Use an electric stand or hand mixer or whisk to whip the cream to medium peaks. (When you lift the beater or whisk, the cream should hold a peak for a moment.)
• Pour the berry mixture over the cream and use a rubber spatula to gently fold until combined. You can leave streaks of the berry mixture or completely incorporate it. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. To serve, scoop into glasses or dishes and top with cookies if desired.

RASPBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mash the raspberries; stir in 1-2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. , In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into raspberry mixture. Spoon into dessert dishes.

BERRY RHUBARB FOOL

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine rhubarb, sugar, orange juice and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 6-8 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Cool slightly., Process rhubarb mixture in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate, covered, until cold., Just before serving, in a small bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. In parfait glasses, alternately layer whipped cream, berries and rhubarb mixture.

GOOSEBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Put the gooseberries and sugar in a pan with a splash of water. Heat gently, stirring, then bring to a simmer and cook until the fruit starts to burst. Squash the gooseberries with a potato masher or fork until pulpy. Cool then chill until cold in the fridge.
• Put the yoghurt in a bowl and beat with the icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Gently whisk in the cream (it will thicken as you whisk so don't overdo it). Ripple through the gooseberry pulp then spoon into pretty glasses or bowls to serve.

BLACKBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Pour the heavy cream into a large bowl with half of the confectioners' sugar and almond extract. Whip until stiff. Fold in sour cream. Refrigerate.
• In a separate bowl, toss blackberries with the remaining confectioners' sugar. Let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• In 8 parfait glasses, layer whipped cream and blackberries, beginning and ending with whipped cream. Garnish each parfait with a strip of lemon zest, a few blackberries and a sprig of mint.

EASY BLUEBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• In a small, nonreactive saucepan, combine blueberries, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until blueberries begin to break down and juices boil and thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and transfer to a small bowl. Place bowl in a larger bowl of ice water, and stir mixture occasionally until cold.
• In a separate bowl, combine cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form; fold in 1/3 cup of the blueberry sauce. Divide among 4 dessert dishes, and spoon remaining sauce over tops.