Papaya-Lime Fool - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm really a mango person, but when life gives you papayas.....deal with it! Several days ago, a well-meaning friend gave me several red-hued papayas. It is not my favorite fruit for eating out of hand, so, I fell back on a recipe that I've had for years but rarely use. I decided to play the fool. While that's a role I relish and play well, I'm really talking about a Papaya Fool. This is an old-fashioned, but delicious dessert, that came to the Americas from England. It is a mixture of strained pureed fruit that is chilled and then folded into whipped cream. It's thought that the name comes from the French verb, fouler, which means to crush or press, though many would argue the point. These days any fruit can be used to make a fool, but in England the gooseberry was the fruit usually associated with this classic dessert. I know that many of you are not keen on using heavy cream in your desserts. A whipped topping will work here, but the finished fool will lack creaminess and feel different on the tongue than the real deal. If you are looking for a dessert that will bring the flavors of the Caribbean to your table you might like to try this. It's nice. It won't make your socks go up and down but it really is a pleasant dessert. The version of the recipe I use comes from Gourmet magazine. Here it is.

Papaya-Lime Fool...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite Courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
1 large (2 1/2- to 3-lb) firm-ripe papaya (preferably Caribbean or Mexican), peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (2 cups)
5 to 8 tablespoons vanilla granulated sugar (see cooks' note, below)
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1-1/4 cups chilled heavy cream

Directions:
1) Mash papaya flesh with a fork until smooth or pulse in a food processor until coarsely puréed. Add 5 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lime juice and stir or pulse to combine. Add more sugar and lime juice to taste (papayas vary in sweetness and acidity).
2) Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds soft peaks, then fold in papaya mixture gently but thoroughly.
3) Divide among 8 (6-ounce) glasses and chill at least 1 hour to allow flavors to develop.

Cooks' note: To make vanilla granulated sugar, combine sugar and 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and chopped, in an airtight container and let stand, covered, at least 24 hours. Sift before using.

You might also like these recipes:
Old-Fashioned Blackberry Pudding - One Perfect Bite
Raspberry Yogurt Parfait - One Perfect Bite
Apricot Souffle - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Blueberry Fool

This luscious summer dessert - a blueberry fool - is similar to one I made as a child in the kitchen of a Swedish neighbor. A fruit fool is a dessert made with stewed or puréed fruit that is folded into a beaten cream or custard and served icy cold. It's a classic British dessert that was first made in the 16th century. It is usually served when fresh fruits are abundant. The fruit most favored to use in this dessert is the gooseberry, but, as they are not easy to come by, I use blueberries. Actually, any stewed fruit can be used. Times and taste have altered the way old desserts are made and this one is no exception. Today's version comes from Fine Cooking magazine. Strangely enough, it's higher in calories than many of the older recipes. I must be honest here. The magazine's version of the recipe is absolutely delicious, but when I make it for Bob I've been known to use a vanilla pudding that's been lightened with a nondairy whipped topping. It, too, is a lovely dessert but it's far less caloric than one that uses crème pâtissière or whipped cream as its base. This is extremely easy to make and it can assembled in less than thirty minutes. It does, however, require time to chill, so be sure to plan accordingly. The stewed blueberries would be absolutely delicious as a standalone or as a sauce for ice cream. I think you'll like the simplicity of this dessert.

Blueberry Fool

Ingredients:
4 cups blueberries, rinsed, picked over, and drained
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Scant 1/8 teaspoon salt
Scant 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/4 cups cold heavy cream

Directions:
1) In a medium saucepan, combine blueberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt, and nutmeg. Simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until berries have released their juice and burst when lightly pressed with a spoon, about 6 minutes. . Increase the heat to high and reduce mixture by half, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, 6-7 minutes. Pour the compote into a bowl and refrigerate until very cold, about 4 hours. The stewed blueberries will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Taste and adjust flavorings if you like, but remember that flavors will be muted when mixed with cream.
2) In a chilled bowl, whip cream to form firm but not stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the chilled compote into the cream just until incorporated. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Just before serving, spoon remaining compote over the fool. Yield: 4 servings.




I'm sending this to Gollum at Designs By Gollum who is hostess for "Foodie Friday."