My Brandied Blackberry Fool is a simple, luxurious no bake summer dessert that makes use of those peak of season berries! Just whip up some sweet cream, fold in your juicy berries, and dig in!
Blackberry fool is elegant and stupid easy at the same time!
The world of fresh fruit and heavy cream is a wonderland. The two come together in so many different ways to form some of the greatest, and simplest, desserts on the planet. A fool is an old English treat that originally consisted ofย stewed gooseberries folded into a custard. This recipe is a simpler version, substituting sweetened whipped cream for the custard base, and a fresh blackberry puree for the stewed fruit. I added a splash of Brandy, Blackberry Brandy to be exact, for fun.
Blackberries are naturally tart, so they play well with sweetened cream.
The texture is almost mouse like, and the whole thing is silky smooth and cool as a cucumber. The perfect summer dessert.
I went for dreamy swirls of blackberry puree
There are a couple of ways to go with this. You can blend lots of fruit puree into the whipped cream and turn it completely purple, or you can fold it in, like I did, for a two toned effect. In that case, it’s nice to serve some extra puree on the side so people can add more if they like. I layered whole blackberries into the serving dishes, too.
Fools are so versatile!
You can use almost any fruit you like, fresh or frozen. And keep in mind that you can do this exact thing with Greek yogurt for a healthier dessert, or breakfast.
Brandied Blackberry Fool
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 1 Tbsp blackberry Brandy
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
for garnish
- mint leaves
- whole blackberries
Instructions
- In a food processor puree the berries, Brandy, and lemon juice until completely smooth. Push the puree through a fine mesh strainer, using the back of a spoon to get as much of the mixture through as possible. Discard the seeds.
- Whip the cream until it starts to thicken, then add the sugar and vanilla. Whip until it forms stiff peaks. You want the cream to be whipped until firm so that it doesn't break down when you add the berry puree. But don't go too far or you will make butter!
- Fold part of the berry puree into the whipped cream, using a silicone spatula. Just fold it in lightly so that you still have streaks of purple and white. You can serve it from one bowl, or spoon it into smaller serving bowls or glasses, layering with fresh berries and more puree, if you like.
- The fool can be refrigerated for up to a few hours before serving.
This is utterly delicious, thank you! – it’s worth noting that, from my trials, an extra slug of brandy works well for the breakfast version.
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i love creamy berry desserts. it looks wonderful!
This looks mazing Sue, perfect for this time of year, so light and refreshing.
oh my oh my! Wow, so beautiful and delicious! The perfect summer treat
I worked in a restaurant in college that served a couple of different kinds of Fools – it was fun explaining it to customers and seeing how much they loved it if I talked them into it. This looks really good!
Lovely dessert Sue. Love blackberries, and brandy and dessert! I bet this tastes amazing.
This looks spectacular Sue, so pretty and so simple. You never cease to amazing me!
mm this looks SO luscious! I love the simple combination of berries and cream in all forms!
When I was a kid I made pineapple fool for my 5th grade class when we had to pick a country and make something from that country. I chose Jamaica, though I don’t know how Jamaican this really is! GREG
Well, I’m guessing it wasn’t all that Jamaican, but good try! ๐