For my recent birthday I tried something I’d not done before and made blackcurrant fool. I don’t do puddings very much due to the need to minimise sugar intake, and I’m not used to mucking about with cream. But I felt like having a go, after all it can’t be hard! Besides we had some blackcurrants taking up much needed space in the freezer. So here it is …

Blackcurrant Fool

Serves: 4-6
Preparation: 15 minutes + cooling + 10 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 500g blackcurrants
• 100g caster sugar
• 300g double cream
• 250g thick Greek yogurt
• Splash cassis (optional)

What to do

1. Simmer the blackcurrants for about 10 minutes with the sugar and a splash of water (or cassis) until the fruit has broken down and the juices have become syrupy.
2. Sieve to remove stalks, skins & pips; and set aside to cool.
3. Once the blackcurrant has completely cooled, whisk the cream until soft peaks hold.
4. Fold in the yogurt.
5. Then fold in the blackcurrants, and combine – more or less, depending on the level of marbling you want.
6. Divide into bowls/glasses and chill before serving.

Notes

1. I’ve adjusted the quantities from what I did as there was too much, too sweet, blackcurrant cf. the cream. While you want something sweet, you also want some sharpness, and don’t want jam. So don’t overdo the sugar.
2. If you’re using frozen blackcurrants, don’t worry to thaw them. They’ll cook from frozen, although you’ll need to add about 5 minutes to the cooking time.
3. Don’t waste time removing stalks etc. from the blackcurrants as they’ll get sieved out.
4. When folding in the yoghurt and blackcurrants, go easy; there’s a fine line between mixing thoroughly and mixing too much. The more you work the mixture the more the whipped cream will break down.
5. Decorate with some flaked almonds, or a sprig of mint or basil. Serve with wafers or sponge fingers if you wish.