Gooseberry Fool Recipes

Steps:

• Pull off tops and tails of gooseberries and halve berries lengthwise. In a heavy skillet cook berries and granulated sugar over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until liquid is thickened, about 5 minutes. Simmer mixture, mashing with a fork to a coarse puree, 2 minutes more. Chill puree, covered, until cold, about 1 hour, and up to 1 day.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat heavy cream with crème fraîche until it holds soft peaks. Add superfine sugar and beat until mixture just holds stiff peaks. Fold chilled puree into cream mixture until combined well. Fool may be made 3 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

Steps:

• Wash the gooseberries thoroughly, top and tail them, then place in a wide heavy-bottomed pan with the sugar, cordial and lemon juice. Simmer over a gentle heat until all the gooseberries have burst.
• Lightly crush with a fork, tip into a bowl to cool and chill for at least 2 hrs. This can be done up to 2 days ahead.
• Lightly whip the cream to a soft dropping consistency, then swirl in the cooked gooseberries to give a rippled effect. Spoon the fool into glasses and chill until you are ready to serve.