Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Dish · From Bladwijzer

Gooseberry fool

Updated on 9 October 2026

• Makes: 4 glasses
• Time: 25 min + 2 hrs chilling
• From: Gooseberry

Ingredients

• 400 g gooseberries
• 80–100 g caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 250 ml double cream, well chilled
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 4 biscuits (speculoos or shortbread), to serve

Method

1. Top and tail the gooseberries: snip off the stalks and the dark remains of the flower, then rinse.
2. Simmer the gooseberries with the sugar and water for 10–12 minutes, until soft and falling apart.
3. Mash them with a fork or blitz briefly. For a smoother fool, rub them through a sieve. Leave the purée to cool completely.
4. Whip the cream with the icing sugar until it just holds soft peaks.
5. Fold the gooseberry purée loosely through the cream so that you still see streaks.
6. Divide between 4 glasses and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with a biscuit.

Storing: Covered in the fridge for 2 days. Not suitable for freezing.