Raspberry Rhubarb Fool

Sweet, tart, and syrupy raspberries and rhubarb swirled with freshly whipped cream. The perfect dessert for Spring. 

Have you had a fool before? This was my first, and I loved it! How could I not love a dessert that is primarily whipped cream? For those unfamiliar with a fool, it’s a combination of whipped cream and sweetened fruit. The fruit and cream get swirled and layered, and placed in individual dishes. It’s crazy easy and crazy delicious.

A fool can be made with any type of fruit. For this version, I made a quick compote using rhubarb and raspberries. They cook into a syrupy sweet-tart mixture that is perfect for layering with the rich whipped cream.

I didn’t over sweeten the fruit because I wanted to maintain some of the tartness from the rhubarb. In my opinion, there is a slight sourness that’s expected when eating rhubarb. Feel free to add extra sugar if you’d like. If you’re making this dessert to share with children, you might want the fruit a little sweeter. According to my four year old, who was experiencing rhubarb for the first time, “It’s really sour. The ‘barb!” Ha!

Now here’s where I beg you not to take a shortcut and use store bought prepared “whipped cream” for this recipe. The stuff from the can or a tub cannot even be compared to real, freshly whipped cream. And making whipped cream couldn’t be easier. Add the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract to a bowl, and beat until soft peaks form. Done. It takes less than 5 minutes, and the end result is so, so good. The whipped cream is the bulk of this recipe, so you definitely want the good stuff.

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Raspberry Rhubarb Fool

Sweet, tart, and syrupy raspberries and rhubarb swirled with freshly whipped cream. This easy dessert is perfect for Spring.

Course Dessert, Fruit

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Raspberry rhubarb compote:

• 1 cup heaping thinly sliced rhubarb cut about 1/2 inch thick
• 6 ounces fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar can be increased to 1/3 cup if you want it less tart
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3 tablespoons raspberry jam or preserves

Whipped cream:

• 2 cups cold heavy cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Additional raspberries for garnish

Instructions

Raspberry rhubarb compote:

1. Place the rhubarb, raspberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, partially covered, for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the rhubarb is tender and the raspberries have broken down, remove from the heat. Stir in raspberry jam. Refrigerate until chilled.

Whipped cream and assembly:

1. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
2. Swirl half of the fruit compote into the whipped cream, carefully folding it in, allowing streaks of the fruit to remain visible. Layer the whipped cream with the remaining compote in individual glasses. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Serve immediately, or refrigerate.