English Fruit Fool Recipe & Photo

ating as far back as the sixteenth century, this classic British dessert has seen its popularity ebb and flow. A fruit fool is made with cooked or raw fruit that is puréed or mashed, then sweetened, chilled, and finally folded into stiffly beaten whipped cream (there should be streaks of the white cream showing where the fruit has not been completely folded into the whipped cream). Traditionally fools were made with tart fruits such as raspberries, gooseberries, blackberries, loganberries, and rhubarb but today virtually any fruit can be used..

"Fool" is believed to have originated from the French word "fouler" which means "to mash" or "to press".

I first read about fruit fools in Helen Saberi and Alan Davidson's book "Trifle". In their discussion on the history of trifles they tell us that early trifles resembled "fools" as they were thickened with eggs and cream, and sometimes wine and spices were added. Some fools didn't contain fruit at all and were more like a custard. But somewhere along the way it was realized that eggs, wine and spices were not needed to enhance the flavor of the fresh fruit and cream.

Fruit fools begin with making a purée from either fresh or frozen fruit. For the kiwi fruit fool, I used fresh kiwi fruit. For the blackberry and strawberry fruit fools, I used frozen unsweetened berries. I like to make the purée the day before it is needed so it has time to firm up and the flavors to blend. You can make the fruit fools several hours in advance of serving. It is best showcased when served in a long stemmed parfait or wine glass, garnished with fresh fruit. Garnish with fresh fruit.

There are a few things to keep in mind when making fruit fools. Anytime you use fresh fruit there is no way to know, without tasting, the exact amount of sugar needed. So tasting is very important here. Make sure you taste the sweetened purée and adjust the sugar as needed. The same is true when you mix the purée with the whipped cream. Taste and adjust the sugar and amount of purée as you might want to add a little extra purée if a stronger fruit flavor is desired.

Strawberry Fruit Fool:

For the purée: Thaw the strawberries (this will take a few hours). Place the strawberries in a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, and process until the berries are puréed. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

For Strawberry Fruit Fool: Place mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator or freezer for about 15 minutes or until very cold. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula gently fold in the strawberry purée, leaving some streaks of the white whipping cream. Pour the fool into four - individual long stemmed parfait or wine glasses. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Can be made about 4 hours before serving. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.

Kiwi Fruit Fool:

For the purée: Peel and cut the kiwis into quarters. Place in a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, and process until you have a rough purée. (You should have about one cup of puréed kiwi.) If you end up with less than one cup of puréed kiwi don't worry. Either purée another kiwi so you end up with one cup or simply adjust the amount of whipping cream to equal that of the puréed kiwi. You will notice that you use equal amounts of purée to whipping cream so adjustments are easy to make. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

For Kiwi Fruit Fool: Place mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator or freezer for about 15 minutes or until very cold. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula gently fold in the kiwi purée, leaving some streaks of the white whipping cream. Pour the fool into four - individual long stemmed parfait or wine glasses. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Can be made about 4 hours before serving. Garnish with a slice of kiwi fruit.

Blackberry Fruit Fool:

For the purée: In a strainer placed over a large bowl thaw the blackberries (this will take a few hours). Once the berries are thawed, press to remove all the juices so you are left with only the seeds in the strainer. You will have about 1 1/2 cups of puréed blackberries. Stir in the sugar, taste, adding more sugar if necessary. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (There will be 1/2 cup of extra purée left over after making the fruit fools. This can be frozen for another use.)

For Blackberry Fruit Fool: Place mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator or freezer for about 15 minutes or until very cold. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula gently fold in the blackberry purée, leaving some streaks of the white whipping cream. Pour the fool into individual long time parfait or wine glasses. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Can be made about 4 hours before serving. Garnish with a few fresh berries.

Each English Fruit Fool recipe makes four servings.

STRAWBERRY FRUIT FOOL:

1 cup (240 ml) strawberry purée

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated white sugar

Strawberry Purée:

1 pound bag (454 grams) frozen unsweetened strawberries

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 grams) granulated white sugar

KIWI FRUIT FOOL:

1 cup (240 ml) kiwi purée (recipe follows)

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated white sugar

Kiwi Purée:

4 kiwis

4-5 tablespoons (48 - 60 grams) granulated white sugar

BLACKBERRY FRUIT FOOL:

1 cup (240 ml) blackberry purée (recipe follows)

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 (20 grams) tablespoons granulated white sugar

Blackberry Purée:

1 pound bag (454 grams) frozen unsweetened blackberries

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

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