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Looking for a sweet, tart, and creamy treat to enjoy in the summer sun? My easy raspberry fool recipe gives you everything you need to conjure up a British classic from home in no time at all.
Fruit fools have been made in the UK for centuries, and they are so simple to make. When made with in-season summer raspberries, at their sweetest and most floral, this is a dessert that oozes elegance despite only needing a handful of ingredients and no cooking at all.
Raspberry Fool Recipe
What is a Fruit Fool?
With records of the dish dating back to 15th century England, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this beloved British dessert continues to be popular to this day.
Traditionally, a fruit fool (from the French verb “fouler,’ which means ‘to crush’) involves stewing fruit with sugar, mashing it and passing it through a fine-mesh sieve, cooling it down, and finally folding it into custard. The original recipe was done with gooseberries.
Variations
Modern-day recipes generally use whipped cream instead of custard and feature a variety of fruit and berries. Some of the most popular ones include fruit fools made with raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and apples, while some are even made with vegetables like rhubarb.
Additionally, many of the recipes no longer cook the fruits unless necessary for the texture. This would include the likes of, say, apples, where stewing the apples makes them softer and hence easier to fold. This is also the case when rhubarb is used.
Today, however, no cooking is required because we’re going to make my fruit fool with tart, sweet, and fresh raspberries. I hope you’re ready for some juicy, creamy goodness by the spoonful!
Ingredients
To get started with my raspberry fool recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients (to make about 4 servings):
- Raspberries – 2 cups (8.8 oz or 250 grams) fresh raspberries, plus 8 raspberries for garnishing
- Sugar – 1/4 cup granulated sugar (or to taste, see notes)
- Lemon Juice – 1 tsp lemon juice
- Vanilla – 1 tsp vanilla
- Heavy Cream/Double Cream – 1 cup heavy cream/double cream
- Shortbread Fingers/Cookies (optional, to serve with) – 4 shortbread fingers/cookies or any crumbly cookie for texture
Ingredient Notes
Sugar – The amount of sugar you use depends on how sweet your raspberries are and how sweet you prefer your desserts. I would say if you prefer sweeter desserts, use 1/3 cup of sugar instead of 1/4 cup.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Add the 2 cups of raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla to a bowl and mash everything with a fork. Set it aside (covered) in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2 – To a cold bowl, add the cold heavy cream (or double cream), and whip either with a hand mixer or a whisk until you get soft peaks.
Step 3 – Fold the mashed raspberries and the cream together gently, leaving swirls (not mixing until well combined).
Step 4 – Serve either in individual glasses or in a large serving bowl with fresh raspberries on top and, optionally, shortbread fingers or cookies.
I used Scottish shortbread fingers as that’s what we had on hand, but any crumbly cookie will do to give the dessert a bit of texture. You could also crumble the cookie on top of the dessert.
It’s almost like a cheesecake texture when you get a spoonful of creamy raspberry fool and some crumbly shortbread.
This is such a simple yet classy dessert to serve, not only in the summer but any time of year. Have fun with it, and let me know in the comments what you thought and whether you tried making it with other types of fruit (like this strawberry fool).
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 cups 8.8 oz or 250 grams fresh raspberries, plus 8 raspberries for garnishing
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar or to taste; see note 1
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup heavy cream/double cream
- 4 shortbread fingers/cookies or any crumbly cookie for texture optional
Instructions
- Add the 2 cups of raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla to a bowl and mash everything with a fork. Set it aside (covered) in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
- To a cold bowl, add the cold heavy cream (or double cream), and whip either with a hand mixer or a whisk until you get soft peaks.
- Fold the mashed raspberries and the cream together gently, leaving swirls (not mixing until well combined).
- Serve either in individual glasses or in a large serving bowl with fresh raspberries on top and, optionally, shortbread fingers or cookies. I used Scottish shortbread fingers as that’s what we had on hand, but any crumbly cookie will do to give the dessert a bit of texture. You could also crumble the cookie on top of the dessert.
Recipe Notes
You Might Also Like to Read
- Tart and Creamy Scottish Cranachan Recipe
- Classic Scones Recipe with Clotted Cream and Jam
- 20 British Desserts You Need to Try
Save and Pin for Later
Need an easy, fruity summer dessert recipe to whip up for your guests with ease? Keep my raspberry fool recipe for safekeeping by saving it to one of your boards.
