Fresh Fruit Fool

Ingredients

• 500 g apples or rhubarb or plums or gooseberries
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2/3 cup pouring cream
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups thickened cream
• 2 tablespoons pistachio nuts, chopped, to decorate (optional)
• fresh fresh edible flower (optional) or sugared fresh edible flower, to decorate (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Prepare the fruit according to the type - peel, core and slice apples; trim and chop rhubarb; halve and stone plums; top and tail gooseberries.

2. 2

   Place the prepared fruit in a saucepan with 3/4 of the caster sugar and the water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until the fruit is very soft.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, to make the custard, bring the pouring cream almost to the boil; lightly whisk the egg and egg yolk in a bowl with the remaining sugar, then stir in the hot cream and vanilla extract; place the bowl over a saucepan of gently boiling water and stir the mixture until it thickens enough to hold a slight trail and thinly coat the back of a spoon lifted out of the custard mixture. TAKE CARE NOT TO OVERHEAT the custard mixture or it may curdle.

4. 4

   Remove the bowl from the saucepan and cover the surface closely with plastic wrap, right on the surface, to prevent a skin from forming. Allow the custard to cool then chill in the refrigerator.

5. 5

   Purée the cooked fruit in a food processor or blender, or pass it through a nylon sieve. Chill the purée for at least 1 hour.

6. 6

   Whisk the cream in a large bowl until it holds soft peaks.

7. 7

   Combine the custard with the fruit purée and fold it gently into the whipped cream.

8. 8

   Spoon the fool into tall glass parfait glasses and chill for 2 hours.

9. 9

   To serve, sprinkle with pistachio nuts or decorate with flowers, and serve with my Shortbreads Recipe #139166.

10. 10

    Variations: See Soft-fruit Fool Recipe #139165.