Happy April Fools’ Day! This little April Lemon Berry Fool is layers of sweet, tangy cream, light lemon curd, and berry compote!
First – How are you guys? For realz?
Oof. Guys. I’m not really sure how to talk about food when we’re living in the world of COVID-19. It’s kind of hard to tune out the world when you’re wiping down your deliveries with disinfecting wipes and shouting at your neighbors over the fence, instead of checking in at their door. I hope you’re well. I hope your family is well. And I hope you’re finding your moments of peace and happiness amid all the chaos.
Second – My Peace? Lemon Berry Fool.
Well. Any cooking or baking really. I’m not used to pulling my flour bin out this much but suddenly store-bought staples like tortillas or bread are running a little scarce while the stores re-stock.
When I started contemplating potential April Fools’ Recipes (celebrating the small stuff is the only way I know to break up the day-to-day quarantine life), I knew I had heavy cream that was about to pass its expiration date and a lot of meyer lemons. Huzzah! Lemon fool recipe! Some people would be perfectly happy to just layer lemon curd and cream, but I’m all about the berries. And luckily, I have umpteen thousand bags of frozen berries, due to my deep love for acai smoothie bowls.
This recipe will basically work with any flavor profile! Got frozen blueberries instead of mixed berries? Totally fine. Strawberries? Load them up. This frozen fruit fool is basically a choose-a-fruit fool. Whichever berry is your favorite will work fine.
What is a fool?
Great question! Fool traditionally referred to an English dessert in which stewed fruit was folded into sweetened custard. Modern fool recipes frequently use whipped cream and a layered presentation.
Lemon curd is hard.
I TOTALLY used to agree with you. But I actually found a cheater’s lemon curd recipe that is foolproof (ha => see what i did there?), much more simple, and dirties less dishes.
But any lemon curd will work! I’ve done this with a jar of store-bought lemon curd and it was still fantastic.
What is the difference between fool and mousse?
They can be very similar. Recipes for mousse vary widely. They can include whipped egg whites, be thickened with gelatin, or — similar to a fool — use whipped heavy cream. While fool is traditionally paired with fruit, mousse can be flavored with just about anything, including both sweet or savory flavors.
What is the difference between trifle and fool?
Trifle is very similar in that it usually involves layers of sweetened, whipped cream and fruit. But often, trifle also includes layers of broken cake or cookies.
Pantry Substitutions
Cream. Well, you’re unfortunately going to need some form of dairy for this adventure. But any type of yogurt will also give you a fool-esque treat.
Greek yogurt. Feel free to substitute for any type of yogurt or sour cream. If you use sour cream, then only use 2 tablespoons, since I always find sour cream a little more, well, sour than greek yogurt.
Lemon curd. Any citrus fruit will work for making curd. I used meyer lemons for this recipe. Store-bought jars of lemon curd will also work. Your mom’s canned curd is the best. No curd at all? Blend up some frozen pineapple and a little bit of water/milk/juice and bam – you have tangy puree.
Berry Compote. No frozen berries? Fresh will work too. So will replacing the compote with any flavor of jelly or jam!
mikaela | wyldflour
4 Servings
You're foolish if you don't try this lemon berry fool! Silky and just slightly tangy whipped cream layered with light lemon curd and sweet berry compote.
45 minPrep Time
45 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup plain, non-fat greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 large whole egg
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup frozen or fresh mixed berries
- 1 Tbsp sugar, honey, or maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- honey
- sliced almonds
Instructions
- Prepare the lemon curd! (Or relax if you're using a pre-made jar.) Juice lemons and set aside. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar using a mixer for about two minutes. Add the yolks and eggs and beat for one additional minute. Mix in the lemon juice. Do not be alarmed if the mixture looks curdled--it will smooth out as the mixture cooks and the butter melts.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and using a spatula to scrape the mixture off the sides and bottom of the pan. Do not let the curd boil. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the mixture is thickened. (If you're using a thermometer, it will read 170 degrees Fahrenheit.) When you pull your spatula out of the pan, the curd should coat the spatula. When you run your finger down the spatula through the curd, it should leave an open trail, rather than just melding back together. Remove the lemon curd from the heat, stir in the lemon zest, and pour into a heat-proof glass bowl. Cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap down into the bowl to touch the top of the lemon curd. This prevents a film from forming on top as your lemon curd cools. Chill in the refrigerator until fully thickened and cold.
- Prepare the berry compote! Combine the berries and sugar of choice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring constantly and using your spatula to lightly crush about half of the berries. The berries will start letting out their juice and then begin to thicken. Remove from heat, stir in lemon zest, and chill completely.
- Whip it! Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the heavy cream and sugar of choice on high until stiff peaks form. Fold in the greek yogurt.
- Assemble! In each individual-sized glass, layer in the following order: 2 tablespoons of lemon curd, 1/8th of the whipped cream, 1 tablespoon berry compote, another 1/8th of the cream, 1 tablespoon lemon curd, and 1 tablespoon berry compote. Repeat for each of the glasses, top with almonds, and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and chill for up to one day.
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