Fruit fools are a British dessert not often
seen in the U.S. Gooseberry fool and rhubarb fool are particularly
popular. They're made by cleaning and chopping the fruit, slowly stewing
them with sugar, and then mashing them into a thick puree. This mixture
is then gently folded into whipped cream, chilled, and the soft fruity
mass is mounded into serving dishes. It's easy, but distinctly
time-consuming.
When in need of a
quick dessert, our fridge yielded nothing more than frozen raspberries
and a carton of cream. Whipped cream on frozen berries doesn't look very
exciting and the texture is mushy, but raspberries whizzed with sugar in
the food processor or blender to form a puree, and then folded into
whipped cream is another matter entirely.
You have to use a few dishes, but the
result is still very quick and delicious. Pile it all into tall glasses
for an elegant effect, and stick a finger of shortbread on top to be
really frou-frou.
You can also make fruit fools with
other soft, fresh, sweet fruits such as mangos, nectarines, and peaches.
Just peel, core, and pulses the fruit in a food processor with sugar, as
instructed. Keep away from firm fruits such as apples, and citrus
fruits, including kiwis, which tend to break down the cream.
