Blackberry-cassis fool

A fool is an English dessert that dates back to the 1600s. It is essentially sweetened whipped cream folded into a bright fruit puree. Why it's called a fool is an etymological mystery--some claim it derives from the French verb fouler which means "to crush", others claim that it is so named because it is a dessert so easy that even a fool could make it. In any case, leftover blackberries and a desire to try out my shiny new Kitchen Aid stand mixer led us to trying this simple dessert.

Recipe

from Bon Appétit DessertsServes 42 cups fresh or frozen blackberries, thawed, plus additional berries for garnish1/4 cup sugar2 tbsp créme de cassis (black currant liqueur)1 tsp fresh lemon juice1-1/4 cups chilled heavy whipping creamPuree 2 cups berries, sugar, créme de cassis and lemon juice in processor. Strain into medium bowl, pressing on solids. Cover and refrigerate puree until ready to use. Using electric mixer, beat cream in medium bowl until peaks forms. Spoon 1/4 cup whipped cream into each of 4 balloon-shaped wineglasses; top each with 2 tablespoons berry puree. Repeat layering 2 more times. Draw tip of small knife through layers, forming swirl pattern. Garnish with berry. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.

Musings

A tasty, simple dessert--ironically, we spend the most time with the aesthetic aspects of the dish, trying to figure out how best to layer and swirl it. David noted that you can definitely taste the créme de cassis, which added a nice dimension to the blackberry puree. Though, he said that the whipping cream itself could have used a touch of sugar and maybe some vanilla, as the dessert was a touch tart. That may also have stemmed from how sweet our particular blackberries were. In any case, an easy dessert that looks nice and tastes nicer, and an excellent way to warm-up my new mixer.