Berry Orange Fool
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There’s no better way to celebrate April Fool’s day than with a classic British dessert that calls itself a “fool”, is there? (Other than playing horribly evil jokes on coworkers and loved ones.)
With spring in full effect, it’s time to kick the fruit consumption into high gear… as an appetite-whetter of what’s ahead (strawberry season! strawberry season!). This fool recipe swirls berries and orange zest with a simple mixture of whipped cream and yogurt… served with crumbled Classic Shortbread Cookies.
(Be careful not to get too ambitiously healthy with this recipe. I altered the whipped-cream-to-yogurt ratio in my last Fool escapade, thinking I was being all ‘responsible’ [we did just watch ‘Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead’ and now feel the need to either sustain ourselves on 100% fresh fruit & veggie juice or stop eating altogether] and The Husband politely [but pointedly] protested. I ended up adding the full amount of the whipped cream after all, because it IS my aim to please. If you’re looking to add less fat and sugar into your life, then keep this recipe as is and serve Baby Fools, as pictured. In short: don’t f with the Fool.)
Adaped (big time) from Bon Appetit’s recipe… makes 4 servings
2 cups fresh berries, chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup whipping/heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 teaspoons Grand Marnier orange liqueur (optional) or orange blossom water
- Gently mash berries with a fork, and stir in 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Set aside in a colander or sieve to drain for about 15 minutes.
- Whip cream with confectioners’ sugar until peaks form, and then fold in yogurt, orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier or orange blossom water (if using). Gently fold in mashed berries, and serve with shortbread cookies on the side or crumbled and sprinkled over the top (skip if you’re going for the gluten-free version). Garnish with unmashed berries.
Tips:
- Berries… choose between strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, black currants… you want them to be really bright tasting (to stand up to the cream/yogurt combo)… and you can add more sugar after mashing them if they are still too tart.
- Mash vs. mulch. Be careful to crush the berries to the point where they still resemble fruit- not a mushy mucky jam. You want fruit with a bit of structure (and some of its juice) to run through the cream… not blend in like a mixed fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt situation.
- Greek yogurt- it’s really different than regular yogurt, isn’t it? It’s wonderful. Thick, tasty, usually low in fat, and very high in protein. If you don’t use Greek yogurt in this recipe, then at least use a full milk yogurt (instead of a fat free version)- and make sure it’s not flavored (let the real fruit do the talking).
- Subs? By all means, use another kind of juice if you prefer. Pomegranate juice would work well (add pomegranates to the fool, too), or any fruit puree would go down well. (Keep in mind that if your juice is dark colored, your fool won’t be white. Just saying.)
- Cookie choices are endless, really. A plain sugar cookie or shortbread tends to work best, but a lady finger could jive just as well. (Serve a whole cookie on the side, or crumbled on the bottom- or go nuts and add in layers as you dollop the fool into the glasses.) How about a graham cracker?
- Serving this dessert looks best in a clear dish- to see the fruit action going on- so if you don’t have parfait glasses, just use a wide-mouthed glass or bowl. If you’re serving to family (or close friends), serve in a big glass bowl with many spoons. Now that’s a party for fools!
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