Fool! That’s the name of this creamy fruit-filled dessert. What is a fool? It’s a British dessert that includes fruit folded into a custard. The original version was most often made with gooseberries, but it evolved over the years to include different fruits, and some have simplified it by using whipped cream with the fruit. My strawberry fool recipe includes a lemon twist.
I include a lemon curd for tartness, and a sweet strawberry coulis (a fancy term for something super simple), and top the whole thing with a little whipped cream. The recipe is still simple, but the lemon curd adds another layer of flavor to this tasty, fluffy dessert that is perfect for a warm day.
You can see me make this fool on Season 1, Episode 1 of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network!
Looking for my other recipe in Season 1, Episode 1 of Zoe Bakes? You can find my strawberry rhubarb pie recipe here. You can also watch me and Donal Skehan make a very similar recipe here!
Ingredients
Strawberry Coulis
- About 1 pound fresh strawberries
- About 1/4 cup sugar
Lemon Curd
- 1/2 cup lemon
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- Pinch salt
- 1 stick (113g) unsalted butter
Fresh Strawberry Garnish
- 1 lb strawberries cut to ¼ inch dice
- 2 tbsp brown sugar more if fruit is not sweet
- 4 mint leaves chiffonade
- ½ tsp lime zest
Strawberry Fool & Assembly
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups chilled Strawberry Coulis
- 1 cup lemon curd
Instructions
Strawberry Coulis
- Blend fresh strawberries and sugar until smooth. The amount of sugar you use will depend on the sweetness of the fruit.
Lemon Curd
- Whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, yolks, and salt. Add the butter and set over a double boiler.
- Use a rubber spatula to stir the lemon curd until it starts to thicken. It should coat the spatula and cling to it before you remove it from the heat. Strain into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill over an ice bath or in the freezer for 20 minutes and then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Can be made a few days ahead and kept refrigerated.
Fresh Strawberry Garnish
- Toss the cut strawberries with the brown sugar, mint and lime zest. Let sit about 30 minutes. Spoon on top of fool just before serving.
Assemble the Fool
- Whip heavy cream with confectioners’ sugar to medium peaks. It is crucial that the cream is stiff enough to hold up to the coulis, but isn’t whipped too much and grainy. Fold half the cream into half the chilled strawberry coulis. Fold the lemon curd into remaining cream.
- Spoon half the strawberry-cream layer into eight 8-ounce glasses, spoon 2 tablespoons coulis over the cream in each glass, then spoon half the lemon curd over the coulis. Repeat this with remaining strawberry-cream, coulis and lemon curd-cream. You’ll end up with eight layers. Top with fresh strawberry garnish.
Made this for Mother’s Day brunch with girlfriends. They were licking the glasses and asking for more. The one thing that I mistakenly forgot to do was to add the butter when making the curd..omg! All I could do is laugh and say oh well cause it still tasted great! The strawberry coulis is the only thing that made me pause because it seemed too loose even after being refrigerated overnight and after I’d folded in the whipping cream. I put the curd in 1st half way the glass and then layered the strawberry coulis next. I added a crumble then whipping cream with blueberries and raspberries on top instead of strawberries on top. Can’t wait for the next show..love it!
My son and I made the Strawberry Fool with great success. We did it over a 3 day period, not wanting to rush the steps and having limited time after work. We made three perfectly delightful parfaits then I spread/layered the rest in a freezer container and we now have the creamiest most lovely and rich ice cream ever which is a perfect after-dinner treat!
a new dish to me, so thank you for that but also wonderful, love the lemon especially, so thank you!
Hello Zoe! I watched you on Food Network make a rhubarb and strawberry pie. I am totally hooked!! I love how you explain everything you’re doing and the visuals are great! Can’t wait to watch you on Magnolia network!!
Enjoyed pie crust instructions