Raspberry Fool with Cardamom Cookies

This Raspberry Fool turns tangy raspberries and luscious whipped cream into a simple yet elegant dessert in a snap. Fold fresh raspberries—either lightly mashed or fully puréed—into a good quality whipped cream for a light, fluffy dessert that will wow your guests (and leave them disbelieving the dessert’s simplicity). The liqueur is optional, but note that orange liqueur adds a lovely sweet citrus note that deepens the rich, berry flavor of this fool.

Ingredients

for the cardamom cookies:
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
½ teaspoon sea salt

for the fool:
2 cups fresh raspberries
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon orange liqueur, optional
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

make the cookies:
Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended. Add the zest, flour, cardamom and salt. Turn the mixer on low speed and blend until the dough comes together in a ball. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of about ½ inch. Use a 2-inch cookie cutter to cut out circles of dough. Place the cookies on baking sheets with about ½ inch between the cookies. Bake on the center rack of the oven until the cookies are lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Let the cookies cool before removing from pan. Serve with Raspberry Fool.

make the fool:
Set a medium-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Use the back of a wooden spoon to push 1 cup of the raspberries through the sieve, smearing the berries back and forth across the mash until only seeds and pulp remain. Scraping any purée from the bottom of the sieve. Stir in the sugar and orange liqueur into the purée.

In a medium metal bowl, combine the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.

Pour the raspberry mixture over the cream. Use a butter knife to gently stir the mixture so that thin streaks of raspberry juice runs through the cream. Spoon the mixture into four glasses or small dessert bowls and top with the remaining raspberries.

Makes 4 servings

Variation: Feel free to substitute blackberries, salmonberries, strawberries or blueberries.

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