These beautiful fools have been sitting in my drafts since last June…aka strawberry season. Hehe…oops! I thought I’d go ahead and share them now anyway, as strawberries are available pretty much year round! Of course they’re even better when the berries are in season, but fools are easily customized by swapping any desired fruit in for the strawberries.

A fool is such a whimsical (I mean…just look at the name!) and ridiculously easy dessert to put together! I feel a little silly sharing a recipe for it, but I didn’t even know what it was a year ago, so I thought I would share the love. Traditionally a fool is made with stewed fruit, but I prefer them with fresh pureed and sliced fruit. You mix some of the fruit with whipped cream, and then layer fruit, whipped cream, and fruit whip all in a couple jars or a dish. Top with some chocolate curls or a drizzle if you’d like too. That’s it!

It’s a great choice for galentine’s/valentine’s/or a warm summer’s day!

strawberry fools

yield: 2-4 fools - depending on jar used

ingredients

1/2 cup whipping cream (sub with coconut whip for a dairy free version)

1/2 tablespoon powdered sugar (or to taste - sub with any sweetener to taste)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh, diced strawberries (sub pretty much any fruit here)

to make the fools

First, dice up the strawberries into rough 1/4-inch cubes, no need to be exact here. Transfer half the strawberries to a small blender, and pulse a few times until you get a chunky puree. Alternatively, just give it a good smash with a smasher or even simply a fork! Set aside.

Next, whip the whipping cream. I prefer to use a medium bowl with tall sides rather than a stand mixer since it’s not a very large volume of whipping cream. Pop the bowl and the beaters into the freezer for a few minutes to chill to really help the cream whip more quickly. Whip the cream on high speed until medium peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar to taste, as well as the vanilla extract. Mix again until combined. Divide the whipped cream in half (doesn’t need to be exact).

Gently fold the strawberry puree into one half of the whipped cream, I used a spatula here and a light touch. Careful not to stir too vigorously, as the cream may deflate. This mixture doesn’t need to be perfectly incorporated either…I find any swirls left behind to look quite beautiful!

Now you’re ready to layer! I used 3 jars, that were about 3-inches in height, and 3-inches in diameter. How you layer the fool is completely up to you, so don’t feel constrained to this method. Have fun with it.

This is what I did: Dollop about 1/4 of the plain whipped cream in each jar, reserving a bit for the top of each jar. Layer in some of the diced strawberries in each. Then 1/3 of the strawberry whipped cream in each jar. More strawberries. Then the rest of the plain whipped cream. I added a couple whole strawberries for interest, and a sprinkling of chocolate curls. Play around with it!

Serve immediately, or keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve. If making more than a couple hours ahead of time, the whipped cream may deflate a little, but it will still taste amazing!

tips:

• I used whipped cream from a local dairy (avalon dairy for you fraser valley/vancouver folks! and it was actually life-changing!! I couldn’t believe how well it held up over several days in my fridge after being whipped, and the texture was undeniably better than the average grocery store whipping cream. Costs a bit more, but it comes in a glass bottle and is 100% worth it in a recipe like this where it’s the star of the show! (p.s. not sponsored..haha, I just really love it!)

• If you have any lemon curd on hand, mix a couple tablespoons into the plain whipped cream for an added punch of flavour…so good!

• Add in pistachios or nuts for a fun crunch.

• This recipe is WONDERFUL when doubled, tripled, quadrupled, etc.! To serve a crowd, you may want to assemble it in a trifle bowl or something similar :)

Don’t be a fool…go make a fool!