Chef John’s Fresh Berry Fool

  4.7 – 6 reviews  • Strawberry Dessert Recipes

This cake is quite simple to make, light, airy, and refreshing with a great presentation. Try experimenting with various berries, fruits, or gelatin flavors, such raspberry.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Additional Time: 1 hr 8 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 18 mins
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 large servings

Ingredients

  1. 1 cup fresh raspberries
  2. 1 cup fresh blackberries, broken in half
  3. 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
  4. 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  5. 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  6. ¼ cup white sugar
  7. 1 cup chilled heavy cream
  8. ¼ cup creme fraiche
  9. 1 tablespoon white sugar
  10. ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  11. 1 cup crushed shortbread cookies

Instructions

  1. Place raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries in a bowl. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir until sugar is mixed with fruit and juices begin to form. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
  2. Place heavy cream and creme fraiche in a cold bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until mixture has soft peaks and sharp lines, 5 to 8 minutes.
  3. Place some cookie crumbs in the bottom of each serving dish. Spoon in some of the fruit and a layer of whipped cream. Repeat layers, ending with a sprinkle of cookie crumbs.
  4. You can substitute plain yogurt or sour cream for the crème fraiche but, if you do, wait until the whipping cream is almost completely whipped before adding.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 646 kcal
Carbohydrate 65 g
Cholesterol 113 mg
Dietary Fiber 6 g
Protein 6 g
Saturated Fat 21 g
Sodium 287 mg
Sugars 30 g
Fat 42 g
Unsaturated Fat 0 g

Reviews

Joshua Silva
This is a simple and delicious and light dessert- perfect for a summer party. The only issue I had was with whipping the cream by hand- it didn’t work and frankly I’m not sure why- so I used a hand mixer which worked perfectly.
Wendy Mcdonald
This was a fantastic dessert! I couldn’t find creme fraiche so I substituted full-fat plain greek yogurt. It was great! I served it when having company and got great reviews! I’ll make it again!
Daniel Harper
I made it just like the recipe called for. It was fantastic. My wife and Daughter loved it.
Ryan Mitchell
I liked it, but think I would make it strawberries only and more berries. I also think I will use more sugar and try confectionary sugar.
Alexander Davis Jr.
Everyone loved this! I used more fruit, only 2 T of sugar on the berries, and I accidentally forgot to add the creme fraiche (although I purchased it!). I used 2T of powdered sugar in the whipped cream and the whole dessert was lovely! Really great recipe!
Michael Pugh
Oh my gosh, this was such a delicious and easy dessert. It took no time to make and everyone loved it. I will definitely do this again.

 

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