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Apricot & Chocolate Fool


Excuse the bad photograph, but I had to share this apricot and chocolate fool as it was so delicious. Even if the light was against me. It was a dark, dreich day here in Scotland with lots of rain.

What is a fool?


Sounds like a silly question but I am of course talking about the dessert and not a foolish person, although to be fair there are a lot of those about.

Traditionally a fool was an old English dessert where fruit puree was folded into custard, but these days it is more commonly fruit puree mixed with whipped cream and some sugar, usually icing sugar, to sweeten it. A posset (the most popular a lemon posset) is similar but the cream is heated and mixed with the fruit juice or puree and sugar, then chilled.

And if you add alcohol?

Well add alcohol to a fruit fool and you have a syllabub, which is usually made with wine, cream sugar and any flavourings like fruit puree you may add. It is whipped and chilled like a fool.

Here are a few of my fool recipes:


Lemon Dream
Lemon Honey & Pear Syllabub
Lemon Syllabub





Violet Apricots


I was very pleased to come across a punnet of rather lush looking red apricots. I haven't come across red apricots before. These were rather inaptly named Violet Apricots.

These jewel like fruits sat in the fridge for a week before I got around to using them. I know apricots don't have a long shelf life, but these were still beautiful. I settled on an apricot fool and decided to add the chocolate as a layer to the bottom of the glass.





Yield: 4

Apricot & Chocolate Fool

Apricots and chocolate. Mmmmmmm! A quick and easy jar dessert to use up any stoned fruit left over in your fruit bowl.
prep time: 20 MINScook time: total time: 20 mins

ingredients


  • 10 apricots, halved and stone removed
  • grated peel from 1 lemon
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 6 tbsp icing sugar
  • 300ml whipping cream
  • 100g dark chocolate
  • 150ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp Cointreau, optional

instructions


  1. First make the puree. Place the apricots, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and water in a pot. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the apricots are soft. Set aside to cool a little before whizzing up in a food processor or with a stick blender.
  2. Next make a chocolate sauce, In another pot over a low to medium heat, heat the double cream and break the chocolate into it. Stir the chocolate until it has melted, then remove form the heat and add the cointreau if you are using it. You could add orange juice instead or leave it plain.
  3. Pour the melted chocolate into 4 bowls or glasses and pop into the fridge.
  4. Now make the fool base. Whisk the whipping cream until firm. If you like, you may add a little icing sugar, to sweeten it up, but as you are adding some apricot puree, you really don't need to.
  5. Swirl apricot puree through the double cream, leaving some to top the finished dish with.
  6. Spoon apricot fool on top of the chocolate sauce in each of your bowls/glasses and top with some of the remaining apricot puree.
  7. Chill well before serving.
  8. Enjoy!
Created using The Recipes Generator



For more easy dessert ideas check out my recipe index.

28 comments

  1. oh mama!... look at those beauties!!! and look what you've turned them into... mouth... watering... oh yes!

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  2. Thanks Dom, sounds like you are impressed. You have made me smile :)

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  3. What a great dessert. I love anything with cream or chocolate to be honest, so this would certainly satisfy me!

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  4. I am pleased you like it Brittany :)

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  5. That looks delicious! How much cream did you add to the chocolate and how much did you whip up for the apricots?

    Thanks,
    Emma Phillips
    Our site:
    http://welliesandworms.co.uk/shop/wellies-welly-socks/childrens-wellies.html

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  6. oh that looks so elegant and delcious - genius idea

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  7. Sorry about that Emma, I am such a numpty! I have gone back and corrected it. There is whipping cream and double cream. Serves me right for having such messy scribbles in my recipe book.

    Thanks Johanna :)

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  8. Looks fantastic and refreshing for a summer dessert! Mmmm, I'd love one!

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  9. Well there is one still left in the fridge Mary .......

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  10. Looks divine.

    I'm envious of your red apricots, I will have to keep my eyes out for them too.

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  11. I was even luckier than you think Shaheen, they were on the bargain shelf and cost me nearly nothing. Wish I had bought that second tub now. Hope they get them in again :)

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  12. I love the apricots! Have never thought to combine them with chocolate before :)

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  13. Mmm, that really does look amazing, as do those fantastic apricots. Can't wait to try it!

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  14. That looks and sounds amazing!

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  15. That looks delicious, I haven't come across red apricots before, must look out for them. Definitely a full fat pud there ;)

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  16. Hi Tandy, I might not have thought of it if it wasn't for this month's We Should Cocoa.

    Hope you enjoy it Anne :)

    Thanks Pam :)

    Hey Janice, It is the first time I have come across red apricots too. They were lovely.

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  17. Fab combo Jac, I've never come across such exotic looking or sounding apricots before. Must keep my eyes peeled!

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  18. Sounds great! I've never had apricots and chocolate together before. Will definitely try it soon. Funny, how cocoa actually brings out the tastes of fruit in a quite interesting way. What an incredible colour of apricots too!

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  19. I have never seen apricots this color...they are just gorgeous!! I love the sound of the apricots with chocolate...this is decadent perfection :D

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  20. No assurances needed. It looks amazing, very elegant. I've never come across red apricots either. And so pleased you made it for We Should Cocoa - thanks for participating - mmmmmm!

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  21. Despite the dreich day the photos came out pretty good. I can definitely see how good the food was. Haven't had apricots much other than in just fruit form so I'd love to try them out with chocolate.

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  22. Those apricots are stunning - I've never seen red ones before. You learn something new every day!

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  23. Wow that looks so delicious I'm defiantly going to try it out at Toronto Grocery Stores and Restaurants :D thanks for the great recipe

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  24. They are so much more appealing than standard apricots Chele, well at least I think so :)

    It's my first try of the combo too Adam and Theresa and it works really well.

    Thanks Heather :)

    It was nice to get an entry in this month Choclette, I am usually dreadful at remembering about events. You would think I would be better now I run The Food Blog Diary, but no.

    The weather is fighting us a lot here in Scotland TB, it's just rain, rain and more rain, so dull too :(

    They are rather gorgeous Lucy :)

    Thanks Jan and I will ignore the blatant advertising this time :)

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  25. Hi Jacqueline-Your blog looks familiar, seems I visite your blog last year. I'm your newest follower.
    Your chocolate and red apricot fool is so amazing, and so yummy, sad to say we can't get red apricots here in S. Florida, otherwise would have to substitute for plain apricots!
    Have a wonderful Sunday:DDD

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  26. Oooh, yum! Never thought to put chocolate sauce in a fruit fool before. They're lovely, lovely looking apricots - and how lucky to have found them reduced!

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  27. I know C, I was very, very lucky to get them so cheap.

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  28. Thank you for updating x

    Emma Phillips
    Our site:
    Boys Coats

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I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x