The British have been whipping up fools for 500 years. Talk about old school! Fruit and whipped cream are a classic combo, and now you can feel anchored in tradition as you swirl the two yummy ingredients together in pretty glasses and serve up fools for dessert. I like to think the fool has survived because it would be foolish to let such a simple delight become obsolete.
Try to use the best-quality cream and the ripest berries you can find. With such a simple concoction, the caliber of ingredients really makes the dish.
serves 4
1 cup fresh raspberries (blackberries and/or strawberries are good alternatives)
2 tablespoons light agave nectar (granulated sugar works as well)
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1–2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
11⁄2 teaspoons Grand Marnier
In a small bowl, mix the raspberries and agave nectar. Smash the berries with the back of a fork to make a loose, sweet puree. Let the berries macerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, chill a bowl for the whipped cream.
In the chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar and Grand Marnier. Finish whipping the sweet and slightly boozy cream; I suggest keeping the whipped cream soft and billowy, just firm enough to hold its shape.
Gently fold the berry puree into the cream. (If you swirl in a spoonful of puree at a time, you get a nice marbled effect.)
Scoop the fool into pretty glasses. You can eat right away, or cover and refrigerate the fools for a few hours, until dessert time.
Tip: You may want to serve your fools with a side of crunchy cookies. Pistachio Tangerine Sugar Cookies would be delicious.