Fools

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Now before I get myself in trouble with my British friends, let me state clearly that I am writing about desert recipes here, not people. That being said, fools come to us from England, and are possibly the easiest of all deserts to make. Typically, they are made from fresh or frozen fruit, sugar, and heavy whipping cream. They can be made more elegant by the addition of garnishes.

For instance, to make a strawberry fool, simply place 1 cup of washed and hulled strawberries into a blender with 1/2 cup of sugar and puree. Beat 1cup of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold together the whipped cream and strawberry puree and place into a pretty parfait or wine glass. Top with a chocolate covered strawberry and serve cold.

The fool I made last night is very different, but very tasty. It is more like a fruit flavored bread pudding and was adopted from a raspberry fool recipe.
Ingredients:
4 slices soft bread, crusts removed
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
3/4 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mash the strawberries, Splenda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cover and let sit for ten minutes. Cut one slice of bread to fit the bottom of a pint container. Use the rest of the slice to line the sides about a quarter inch up. Fill with the strawberry mixture to the top of the bread sides. Place another piece of bread to fit, line the sides, fill with strawberry mixture. Repeat until the container is almost full Place the last layer of bread on top, and drizzle with any leftover strawberry juice from the bowl. This bread slice should be right at the top of the container, or even slightly above it. Cover with a tight fitting lid that squishes everything down, just a bit. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with whipped cream, or peanut butter. It is delicious, and sugar free except for the natural sugars in the strawberries.

There, I was a good boy and didn't poke fun at my friends across the big pond. Aren't you proud of me. And Bucky, be good.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Kayelle]

Sounds wonderful. The bread you use.......something like a firm white bread I would guess?

 

[buckytom]

thank god fags are a good smoke, huh gw?

peanut butter? you had me up to there.

ok, so the fool is in the filling? or is it the cake?

 

[Kathleen]

We had a lovely, young teacher from the UK who taught math as part of a teacher exchange program. On her first day in the classroom, she asked the group of ninth grade students whether anyone could lend her a rubber. She meant an eraser, of course, but it was a classic moment that is still told in the faculty rooms. She also made a fool for the holiday potluck. It was even better than student reactions to the first. Seriously, the dessert was wonderful. I have often wondered about words we use that have cross meanings in other countries.

~Kathleen

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

thank god fags are a good smoke, huh gw?

peanut butter? you had me up to there.

ok, so the fool is in the filling? or is it the cake?

Originally, the fool was simply a filling with no place to go. It was the pureed' fruit, folded into the whipped cream, and served in a nice glass, like a wine glass, or a parfait glass. My version is inspired by a raspberry fool recipe, where I simply substituted strawberry for raspberry. I tried it this morning. It is very moist and refreshing, with the bread flavor adding to the whole. That's why I tried it with both whipped cream on top, and with a bit of peanut butter on my spoon before digging in. Either way, it was great.

Oh, and if you go back a bit further, say any earlier than the early 1900's, a fagot was the piece of burning material you carried with you in a tin box, smoldering away until you used it to light your camp or cooking fire. Before you killed your fire and moved on, another piece of burning ember was placed in the tin, with some straw or grass, and carried around until you again needed to light a fire somewhere. I believe that cigarettes are called fagots in the U.K., at least by some.

Oh, and I'm trying to come up with flavors that are associated with the LDS Church. Then, I'll turn that flavor into a fool, and take it to a church potluck and call it a Mormon Fool. Hey, if you can't poke a little fun at yourself once in a while...

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[DaveSoMD]

The fool I made last night is very different, but very tasty. It is more like a fruit flavored bread pudding and was adopted from a raspberry fool recipe.
Ingredients:
4 slices soft bread, crusts removed
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
3/4 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mash the strawberries, Splenda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cover and let sit for ten minutes. Cut one slice of bread to fit the bottom of a pint container. Use the rest of the slice to line the sides about a quarter inch up. Fill with the strawberry mixture to the top of the bread sides. Place another piece of bread to fit, line the sides, fill with strawberry mixture. Repeat until the container is almost full Place the last layer of bread on top, and drizzle with any leftover strawberry juice from the bowl. This bread slice should be right at the top of the container, or even slightly above it. Cover with a tight fitting lid that squishes everything down, just a bit. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with whipped cream, or peanut butter. It is delicious, and sugar free except for the natural sugars in the strawberries.

Do you turn it out on a plate after you weight it down and chill overnight? It sounds very similiar to a "summer pudding" recipe.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Do you turn it out on a plate after you weight it down and chill overnight? It sounds very similiar to a "summer pudding" recipe.

Yes, you can indeed turn it out on a plate. It holds its shape well. This would be great served with a side of good french vanilla ice cream, or a key lime sorbet.

Seeeeeya; Goodwedd of the North

 

[DaveSoMD]

Sounds perfect for this 100-degree day! Wish I had berries in the house.

 

[buckytom]

thanks very much for the info, gw. you've taught me a coupla new things today.

let nobody say there's a youper fool, 'cuse he'll have to talk to me first.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

thanks very much for the info, gw. you've taught me a coupla new things today.

let nobody say there's a youper fool, 'cuse he'll have to talk to me first.

That's "Yooper" my friend.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed fo the North

 

[joesfolk]

Goodweed, Alton Brown did a show where he made something kind of similar. But he weighted the bread- berry mixture if I remember right. You could probably see it on -line if you care to.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Goodweed, Alton Brown did a show where he made something kind of similar. But he weighted the bread- berry mixture if I remember right. You could probably see it on -line if you care to.

In the very first fool recipe I ever saw, it was made by pressing bread to the bottom and sides of a tall casserole dish
, and then layering raspberries that were macerated with sugar and bread, with the final layer being bread. A plate was place on top of the bread to weight it down, and then a bag of beans or peas was placed on top of that. So you are probably remembering right.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North