Here in the states a fool is someone who acts silly or without thinking. But, in the UK a fool can also be a refreshing dessert made from fruit and heavy cream. The popularity of individual custards in Europe led to the creation of a simpler dessert that still had a sweet and creamy flavor with a fruity topping.

One of the more common varieties of fool in the UK is gooseberry fool made from a tart, green fruit that isn’t commonly grown in the US. But, a lemon blueberry version captures the important aspects of the dish well.

To make this dessert you’ll need to make a simple fruit compote. This one is made from blueberries and sugar, with some flavor extracts added after cooking. Once this cools down you can begin working on the cream portion of the dessert.

Once your cream is whipped to perfection with some sugar, you can layer the cream and fruit together. I used some vintage champagne coupes to make this an extra special dessert, but you can use any small bowls.

I think it’s fun to whip out the fancy cocktail glasses or crystal bowls for a dessert this. After all, fresh berries and cream is an occasion in itself- worth celebrating for sure.

I also added a little lemon “twig” on top of each serving as well, since my zester has that wider peeling feature built in.

This dessert is perfect for summer’s bounty and it’s an easy way to make a simple dessert very special.