The English Kitchen: Gooseberry Gingernut Fool

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Make Your Own Self Raising Flour: You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.
Make Your Own Baking Powder: You can make your own baking powder by combining 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar. It's ideal for coeliac sufferers who can't find the gluten-free variety of this raising agent, but measure it out carefully because too much or too little can upset a recipe's balance. Make Your Own Mixed Spice: You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning: Mix together 2 1/2 TBS of salt, 1 TBS dried oregano leaves (Rub to a powder using your fingertips), 1 TBS sweet paprika, 1 TBS cayenne pepper, and 1 TBS ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container for up to six months. Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice: Mix together 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of ground mace or ground cardamom. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Make Your Own Italian Seasoning: Mix together 3 TBS dried basil, 3 TBS dried oregano, 3 TBS dried parsley, 1 TBS garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

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Sunday, 26 July 2009

Gooseberry Gingernut Fool

Oh what a fool I am for a fool. A fool has to be one of the easiest desserts to make ever. All you need is a bit of fruit puree and some whipped cream. Add in some buttery biscuit crumbs and you have a dessert fit for royalty.

You could use strawberry puree and crushed shortcake biscuits and it would be delicious!

You could use blueberry puree and crushed ginger biscuits and it would be fabulous!

You could use raspberry puree and crushed tea biscuits and it would be scrummy!!

Or you could do like I did and use a gooseberry puree and crushed gingernuts and it will be scrumdiddlyumptious!

Easy Peasy, Gooseberry Squeasy!

*Gooseberry Gingernut Fool*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Tart gooseberry puree, softly whipped cream and buttery gingernut crumbs . . . this is a marriage made in heaven. This is absolutely when a threesome works!

4 ounces gingernut biscuits, crushed
1 1/2 ounces sweet butter, melted
8 ounces fresh gooseberries
1 TBS cold water
4 ounces caster sugar
1 cup double cream, whipped

Place the gooseberries into a saucepan along with the water. Cover and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until very soft. At the end of that time, stir in the sugar, and then use your stick blender (my preferred method) to blend them into a puree. Alternately, pop them into your regular blender, or your food processor and blend until pureed. (DO so carefully with a towel over top, as hot things in a blender build up pressure and can pop the lid off, hence why I use my stick blender) Leave aside to cool completely, or pop in the fridge to chill it faster. (You can pour it onto a baking sheet and spread it out and it will chill really fast!) Once the gooseberry puree is completely cool, fold it into the whipped cream.

Mix the gingernut crumbs and the butter together. Place a little bit of them into the bottom of each of six dessert dishes. Spoon half of the fool over top of each. Sprinkle another layer of crumbs over top and then the remaining half of the gooseberry mixture. Top with a final layer of gingernut crumbs. Chill until completely cold.

Serve to six lucky people. Listen to the ooohs and ahhhs!

7 comments:

Jan said...: I haven't had gooseberries for years!
This gooseberry fool of yours looks yummy Marie.; 26 July 2009 07:55
Lucy said...: I love good english gooseberries! I recently made a raspberry fool using shortbread biscuits and it was delicious! I love your cream-tastic pictures :); 26 July 2009 11:19
love those cupcakes said...: Now I'm craving gooseberry fool! And not a gooseberry in sight! Gorgeous photographs, btw.; 26 July 2009 12:07
Angie said...: Goosegogs, goosegogs - I do love them but they're as rare as hens' teeth up here, even frozen ones.

Used some frozen blueberries for a similar thing yesterday but using 0% fat Greek Natural Yogurt instead of cream. Cream would be nicer (obviously) but this was very low-cal.

I'm craving goosegogs now! See what you've done?

Good job I love you anyway.
Angie, xx; 26 July 2009 12:40
La Table De Nana said...: That first photo is just so pretty..:); 26 July 2009 13:30
Carol said...: I gave your an award! Go to my blog to check it out!; 27 July 2009 00:16
Anonymous said...: Oh Marie, thanks for making the background white for the printing - what an easy read it is now! You are just the bestest!

This really looks tasty!

Hugs,
Winnie; 27 July 2009 02:36