Fruit fool is a British dessert made of cream and sweetened fruit puree, traditionally with one type of fruit. It has become popular worldwide, with variations including different fruits, sweeteners, and layering techniques. The name “fool” comes from the French verb falloer, meaning “to press.” Fruit fools are typically served immediately due to the water content of the pureed fruit. Similar British desserts include Eton pudding and pavlova, but fruit fools are distinguished by their use of sugar rather than meringue.
A fruit nut is a simple dessert made of cream mixed with sweetened fruit puree. The dish is decidedly British in origin, but has become popular throughout much of the world as an easy and often refreshing summertime treat. Traditional fruit fools are made with one type of fruit, usually strawberries or raspberries, that are blended directly into the cream to create a marbled look. Innovative cooks often take liberties with the basic model, however, often combining fruit, adding different sweeteners, or playing with layering cream and puree.
The word “fool” in the context of fruit fool most likely comes from the French verb falloer, meaning “to press.” Early English cooks — dating back to the 1500s, according to some — played fools by pressing ripe fruit into a pulp, combining that pulp with sugar, then pouring the mixture into freshly whipped cream. Most cooks kept only one fruit, with strawberry fools and gooseberry fools being the most popular varieties. They were often refreshing ways to end meals during the hot spring and summer months in medieval England.
Fruit fools haven’t gone out of fashion, perhaps in part because of their simplicity. Of course, modern chefs aren’t limited to local or seasonal produce, but berries remain the most common variety of fruit craze. Cooks often experiment with pureeing different berries together or combining berries with other fruits, such as cherries, to create new twists.
The shape is another way to innovate for fruit-mad cooks. The more rudimentary fools are simply scooped into shallow bowls after blending. More artistic interventions include the service of dishes in decorative glass, particularly presentations in wine or martini glasses. Some cooks also experiment with streaking, layering the fruit puree and cream in alternating swathes to create a parfait-like look that diners can then mix together for themselves. More intricate versions of this type of fruit fool incorporate different fruit purées in the various wraps and are almost always topped with a fruit garnish.
A fruit nut typically needs to be served right away because it typically doesn’t keep well. Pureed fruits tend to have a lot of residual water. As they sit, that water will separate out, which can thin the cream. Highly acidic fruits, such as lemons, limes and oranges, could also sour the cream if left to sit for long periods of time. As a result citrus fruits are almost never seen on fruit fools plates.
In English cuisine, there are many delicacies similar to fruit fools, because British desserts have a long history of combining fruit and creams. A dish known as Eton pudding, for example, is little more than whole berries – usually strawberries – mashed with heavy whipped cream and meringue crumbs. Australia and New Zealand’s favorite pavlova incorporates a meringue base topped with cream and finally, fresh fruit. Two characteristics that define a fruit fool are his purification stage and his use of sugar rather than meringue.
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