OK, you do need to buy a cream whipper gun for this recipe, but it will make all the difference to the final texture. They don’t cost much and are good fun – they are real toys for boys and girls for the kitchen! You can substitute the plum purée in this recipe with any other fruit you like and move the dish with the seasons.
Serves 8
150g butter, cubed
150g caster sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 kg plums, halved and stoned
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
300ml double cream
300ml milk
6 egg yolks
pink peppercorns, to decorate
For the shortbread biscuits
175g butter, cubed
85g caster sugar
225g plain white flour, sifted, plus extra for rolling out
2 tablespoons pink peppercorns, crushed demerara sugar for sprinkling
Melt the butter with 100g of the caster sugar and the cinnamon sticks in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the plums and lemon juice and stir over a low heat until the plums break down into a purée. Remove the cinnamon sticks, transfer the mix to a blender and blend until smooth. Pass the plum purée through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave to cool completely, then cover and chill until needed.
Bring the double cream and the milk to the boil in the washed pan over a high heat. Whisk the egg yolks and the remaining 50g caster sugar together in a heatproof bowl until fluffy and pale. Pour the boiling cream and milk on to the egg yolks, whisking. Pour this mix back into the pan, return to the heat and simmer, whisking, until the custard reaches 82°C on an instant-read thermometer. Pass through a fine sieve onto two freezer blocks to stop the eggs from scrambling. Leave to cool completely, then cover and chill until needed.
Meanwhile, make the shortbread biscuits. Place the butter, sugar and flour into a food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. Add the peppercorns and pulse once more. Remove the dough from the processor, wrap in clingfilm and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 150°C/ Gas Mark 2 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the shortbread dough out on a lightly floured surface until about 1cm thick. Use biscuit cutters to cut into the shapes that you require and place on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the biscuits for 8–10 minutes until they are baked through and dried. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and quickly sprinkle the biscuits with demerara sugar. Transfer them to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Store the biscuits in an airtight container until needed.
About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, stir the custard mix and 400g of the plum purée together, then pass through a fine sieve. Pour this into a cream whipper gun. Charge with 2 chargers and give it a good shake, then leave to settle for 10–15 minutes.
To serve, spoon a little leftover purée into tall glasses or serving bowls. Squirt on the fool mix and sprinkle with pink peppercorns. Serve with the shortbread biscuits. This fool must be eaten straight away.