Berry Chocolate Fools Food

BLACKBERRY-WHITE CHOCOLATE FOOL WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Place berries in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cassis, stir well, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove half of the berries and mash with fork until pureed. Strain the mixture into a bowl.
• Whip heavy cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons cassis in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in the white chocolate and strained puree and chill for 1 hour.
• Layer goblets with berry-cream mixture and whole macerated berries. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and garnish with mint.

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.

RASPBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mash the raspberries; stir in 1-2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. , In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into raspberry mixture. Spoon into dessert dishes.

BLACKBERRY-WHITE CHOCOLATE FOOL

Steps:

• Place berries in a large bowl, add 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of cassis, if using, stir well and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove half of the berries and mash with fork until pureed. Strain the mixture into a bowl.
• Whip heavy cream, 3 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of the cassis, if using, in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in the white chocolate and strained puree and chill for 1 hour. Layer goblets with berry cream mixture and whole macerated berries. Garnish with mint.

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.

MIX-AND-MATCH FOOLS

Steps:

• Whipped cream:
• Using the largest (and widest) whisk you have, beat cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large chilled bowl until soft peaks form, 3-6 minutes, depending on how many breaks you take.
• Do Ahead: Whipped cream can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Just before serving, whisk cream once or twice to refluff, but don't overwhip it.
• Berries and assembly:
• Combine berries, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until juicy, at least 15 minutes.
• Add berries to whipped cream and fold gently until mixture is streaky but barely combined (just one or two strokes should do it). Scoop into small glasses.
• Do Ahead: Berries can be macerated 2 hours ahead. Leave at room temperature.

GREAT BRITISH FOOL

Steps:

• 1 To make the compote, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2 Place the fruit in a large saucepan and sprinkle with the sugar. Add enough water to just cover and bring the mixture to a boil, letting, allowing the sugar to dissolve. Let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the fruit has completely softened.
• 3 Add the syrup, if using (elderflower works very well with gooseberries, and ginger is great with rhubarb). Check the compote for sweetness and add more sugar if you desire. Allow the compote to cool, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• 4 Whisk the cream and confectioners' sugar together until soft peaks form (it should not be too thick), then fold in the compote. Divide the fool among 6 decorative glasses and serve.