Berry Fool Recipes

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.

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.

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.

BLUEBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Combine blueberries, lemon juice, cinnamon, 4 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until blueberries burst and become very soft, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor and puree. Pour into a fine sieve set over a bowl, stirring and pressing on solids to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard solids and refrigerate puree until cold and thickened slightly, at least 1 hour and, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day.
• Whisk or beat cream with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar to soft peaks in a large, wide bowl. Drizzle puree evenly over cream and fold cream over puree twice with a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon just until puree is streaked throughout cream. (Do not overmix.) Transfer to a large serving bowl or individual serving dishes and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours and, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day. Serve cold.

SIMPLE BLUEBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Heat 1 cup blueberries, sugar, and thyme in a small saucepan until berries just begin to burst. Remove from heat, stir in remaining berries, and let cool completely.
• Layer 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup meringue pieces, and 1/4 cup berry mixture in 4 shallow bowls. Garnish with thyme and serve immediately.