Blackberry Fool
A two-part British dessert featuring crisp hazelnut biscuits and a silky blackberry fool layered with cream and yogurt, finished with mint and reserved berries.
Steps
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C (fan) / Gas 6. Line two large baking trays with parchment.
- 2
Spread hazelnuts on a tray and roast in the oven for 6–8 minutes until golden; cool.
- 3
Beat butter and caster sugar until light and creamy. Roughly chop cooled hazelnuts; add to the creamed mixture with lemon zest, plain flour and baking powder; mix into a dough (you may need to bring it together with your hands).
- 4
Divide the dough into 24 pieces and roll into small balls. Place on the prepared trays, spaced apart.
- 5
Flatten each to about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. Bake one tray at a time for 12 minutes until very pale golden; cool on trays (they will firm as they cool).
- 6
For the blackberry fool: rinse berries, place in a non-stick pan with caster sugar and lemon juice; heat gently for 2 minutes and soften.
- 7
Remove 12 berries for decoration; continue cooking the rest for 15 minutes until very soft. Push through a sieve to make purée; cool completely; reserve seeds.
- 8
Whip the cream and yogurt until soft peaks form. When purée is cold, sweeten to taste and fold lightly into the whipped cream and yogurt.
- 9
Layer or spoon fool into dishes; scatter reserved blackberries and a few mint leaves on top; finish with a light dusting of sugar if desired; serve with the hazelnut biscuits.
