Blackberry Fool Food

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.

BLACKBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Pour the heavy cream into a large bowl with half of the confectioners' sugar and almond extract. Whip until stiff. Fold in sour cream. Refrigerate.
• In a separate bowl, toss blackberries with the remaining confectioners' sugar. Let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• In 8 parfait glasses, layer whipped cream and blackberries, beginning and ending with whipped cream. Garnish each parfait with a strip of lemon zest, a few blackberries and a sprig of mint.

BLACKBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Halve, the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds, then place in a large pan along with 350g of the berries, the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to the boil over a medium heat.
• Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until syrupy and the berries are soft but holding their shape. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk the cream to form peaks, fold through the yogurt and swirl through a third of the syrup.
• Layer the rest of the syrup and cream in dessert glasses, garnish with syrup and fresh berries.

BLACKBERRY BORAGE FOOL

Steps:

• 1. Put heavy cream and borage flowers in a covered container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. In a bowl, combine 2 cups of the blackberries with lime juice and ginger and let them infuse for the same amount of time as the cream.
• 2. Mash the blackberry mixture by hand or in a food processor.
• 3. Strain borage-infused cream through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids. Combine with confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a mixer, and whip on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, or until cream is soft and billowy, but firm. Reserve a small amount for garnish, if desired.
• 4. Gently fold blackberry mash into borage cream. Divide the remaining 2 cups of blackberries between four tall cups or parfait glasses and top with the borage blackberry cream. Garnish with reserved borage cream, if desired, and borage flowers.

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.

BLACKBERRY & LEMON FOOL

Steps:

• Tip the blackberries into a pan with 2 tbsp icing sugar, plus the lemon zest and juice. Simmer until syrupy, then leave to cool. Chill for a few hours.
• Whip the double cream with 1 tbsp icing sugar, then swirl through most of the blackberry sauce. Serve in glasses with extra sauce and fresh blackberries on top.

BLACKBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Place the blackberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the granulated sugar, then drizzle with the vanilla. Toss lightly to evenly coat. Allow to steep for 10 minutes, then mash the blackberries until they release their juices and form a thick pulp.
• Combine the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in another medium bowl. Use an electric stand or hand mixer or whisk to whip the cream to medium peaks. (When you lift the beater or whisk, the cream should hold a peak for a moment.)
• Pour the berry mixture over the cream and use a rubber spatula to gently fold until combined. You can leave streaks of the berry mixture or completely incorporate it. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. To serve, scoop into glasses or dishes and top with cookies if desired.

BLACKBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Add the blackberries to a bowl, sprinkle over the granulated sugar and blackberry liqueur and let steep 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the cream and powdered sugar to the bowl of a mixer and whip to soft peaks. Mash the blackberries with a fork, and then fold them into the cream.
• Spoon the fool into individual glasses. Crush some ladyfingers on top. Top each with a sprig of mint and a whole blackberry!

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.

FROZEN BLACKBERRY FOOL

Steps:

• Mash most of the blackberries with the lemon juice and half the sugar. Whip the cream with the remaining sugar. Fold the whipped cream and blackberry mix together to make a mauve cream, then tip into a freezer container and freeze until set. Serve in scoops in glasses, with the shortbread and remaining blackberries on the side.
• Mash most of the blackberries with the lemon juice and half the sugar. Whip the cream with the remaining sugar. Fold the whipped cream and blackberry mix together to make a mauve cream, then tip into a freezer container and freeze until set. Serve in scoops in glasses, with the shortbread and remaining blackberries on the side.

BLACKBERRY FOOLS

Steps:

• Pass jam through a fine sieve; discard solids.
• With a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream and sugar until soft peaks form.
• Gently fold jam into cream to form swirls. Divide mixture among 4 cups, garnish with berries, and serve immediately.