This raspberry fool, made with fresh raspberries, yogurt, whipped cream, confectioners’ sugar, and ladyfinger cookies, lives up to its name in that it’s deceptively simple to make yet impressive and elegant enough for entertaining.
This raspberry fool is a simple and relatively healthful dessert yet tastes indulgent with its slight sweetness and perfectly balanced tanginess.–Renee Schettler
WHAT MAKES RASPBERRIES AND CREAM A “FOOL”?
This simple and fresh dessert, popular in the U.K. but originally from France, is starting to be adored over here, too. The name seems out of place, for sure. Coming from France, the original name comes from fouler, which means to press or crush. Not cooked down into a compote, this version of raspberry fool mixes puréed raspberries with whole ones, to keep the berries tasting as fresh as possible. If you prefer a more rustic presentation, you can just mash the berries (or fool them…) by hand but, keep in mind, you’ll end up with seeds in the end product.
Raspberry Fool
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
- 10 ounces fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries thawed if frozen
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup chilled heavy cream
- Fresh raspberries for garnish (optional)
- 4 ladyfinger cookies
Directions
- Place the yogurt in a strainer lined with a paper towel placed over a bowl and let it drain and thicken in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
- Discard the liquid and set the thickened yogurt aside.
- Process half the raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Transfer the purée to a strainer placed over a large bowl, pressing the liquid out with a rubber spatula. Discard the seeds.
- Whisk the confectioners’ sugar into the strained raspberries. Stir in the remaining raspberries.
- In a chilled medium bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the yogurt and then fold in the raspberry mixture.
- Spoon the fool into cocktail glasses, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Serve, topped with fresh raspberries, if desired, and ladyfinger cookies.
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Recipe Testers' Reviews
Any time I see a recipe that originated with Elie Krieger, I'll go out of my way to make it. Her recipes are always flavorful yet healthy, and I'm always on board for a healthier dessert to satisfy my sweet tooth. I used Siggi's Triple Cream Vanilla Yogurt, and because it’s an already-thick yogurt, I didn't get any liquid out of it while straining as the recipe called for. I'd use it again, because it really speeds up the waiting process for this dish.
I'm always a bit skeptical about raspberries, because I dislike the texture of the seeds that add grit to whatever they accompany—but rest assured, this recipe has that all covered, and you're left with a smooth, creamy, velvety texture. The tart and tang is not overpowering—the amount of confectioners' sugar the recipe calls for is the ideal amount. It's so good, we were scraping our cocktail glasses in record time. The whipped cream is airy and gives body to what would be a dessert "soup" otherwise. Just be gentle when folding in the yogurt and raspberry puree so as not to deflate it. This recipe makes four perfectly sized servings.
Pro tip? My niece opted for couple of crushed Oreos instead of a lady finger - and it was a tasty hack. (You're welcome!)
Originally published September 25, 2008
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Jenna Helwig
As promised in the recipe, this was a simple and delicious dessert to prepare in advance. The end result was a beautiful pink, raspberry-studded custard-type dessert.
Thanks to the yogurt, the fool’s sweetness was tempered by a sour tang, and everyone at the table scraped their bowl clean. As an added bonus, this dish is also relatively healthy!
While it did take a few bowls and pieces of equipment (including electric beaters and a food processor), and required a few hours of yogurt-straining and chilling, the actual prep time was about 15 minutes.