The word fool has other uses besides that of a plain insult. In culinary terminology, the word also serves as the title for one of the most simplistic and delicious desserts to serve on a menu. Originally, this English dessert was fairly complex, as it required a base consisting of cooked custard that would have to be folded into berry compote. For the fruit, things started with gooseberries. Now, other types of berries and fruit are thrown in, either as substitutes or together in one puree.

As for the cream, things started simply enough with sugar, vanilla, and other spices but can now be enhanced further with other types of dairy products like yogurt, creme fraise or sour cream.

Sometimes, other foods were added to spice things up like chocolate, alcohol and other spices. Nowadays, the formula has gotten much simpler whereas a quality fool requires just pureed berries and whipped cream.

Today's recipe will be a strawberry flavored fool, laced with chopped/peeled chocolate and garnished with vanilla wafer crumbs. As complicated as the whole thing might sound, this recipe was formulated to be a simple one. Have fun!

Speaking of chocolate, National Chocolate Ice Cream Day just took place.

A simple-minded fool

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb strawberries
  • 4 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 lemon for squeeze
  • 3/4 cup double cream, cold
  • 3/4 cup fresh yogurt
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 2 oz chocolate, finely chopped or peeled
  • Vanilla wafers as needed, crushed

Directions:

  1. Chill a mixing bowl in a refrigerator for 30 minutes before preparing the fool.
  2. Save 1/4 of the strawberries for garnishing the fool later and put the remainder in a bowl. Grate the skin of the lemon over the bowl to sprinkle the zest onto the strawberries. Squeeze juice from half of the lemon over the strawberries. Speaking of lemon, does the Lemon Water Detox work?
  3. Add the sugar and gently fold it in with the strawberries to draw out some of the juices. Cover the strawberries and juices with a plastic wrap, gently pressing it down on top of the fruit. Refrigerate for an hour to continue the maceration process.
  4. Remove the chilled bowl from the refrigerator and combine the cream, yogurt and powdered sugar in it. Whip the mixture with a whisk or with a hand mixer until it forms soft peaks. Do not overwhip.
  5. Chop the chocolate finely on a board with a knife or use a peeler. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the whipped cream and fold them together.
  6. Remove the macerated strawberries from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Mash down the strawberries using a fork.
  7. Fold half of the chocolate sprinkled cream mixture into the fruit mash, but don't over mix. Fold the remaining whipped cream in to complete the fool.
  8. Seal the bowl containing the fool with plastic wrap and refrigerate or serve immediately in dessert glasses garnished with the crumbled cookies and remaining strawberries.
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