Blackberry Fool

Ingredients

• 50 ghazelnuts, for hazelnut biscuits
• 125 gbutter, for hazelnut biscuits
• 150 gsuperfine sugar, for hazelnut biscuits
• lemon, zest only
• 150 gall-purpose flour, for hazelnut biscuits
• 1/2 tspbaking powder, for hazelnut biscuits
• 600 gblackberries, 12 reserved whole for decoration; remainder simmered and sieved
• 75 gsugar, for blackberry purée; adjust to taste
• 2 tbspsuperfine sugar, for blackberry fool; adjust sweetness to taste after cooling
• 1 tbsplemon juice, for blackberry purée
• 300 mlheavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
• 100 mlyogurt, folded into whipped cream
• mint, tiny leaves for garnish

Method

1. 1

   Make the biscuits: preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment. Spread the hazelnuts on a separate baking tray and roast for 6–8 minutes until golden-brown, watching carefully so they don't burn. Tip onto a board and leave to cool.

2. 2

   Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Roughly chop the cooled hazelnuts and add to the bowl along with the lemon zest, flour and baking powder. Stir until the mixture comes together into a ball, using your hands if needed.

3. 3

   Divide the dough into 24 pieces and roll into balls. Place well apart on lined baking trays and press to about 1cm thick.

4. 4

   Bake one tray at a time for 12 minutes until very pale golden-brown. Leave to cool on the trays — the biscuits will be soft when hot but crisp as they cool.

5. 5

   Make the fool: rinse the blackberries in a colander. Put in a non-stick saucepan with the 75g sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently for 2 minutes until the berries begin to soften.

6. 6

   Reserve 12 blackberries for decoration. Continue simmering the rest for 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until very soft.

7. 7

   Press the berries and juice through a sieve into a bowl using the bottom of a ladle. You should get about 325ml of purée. Leave to cool completely.

8. 8

   Whip the cream and yoghurt together in a large bowl until soft peaks form.

9. 9

   Taste the cold purée and add the 2 tbsp superfine sugar if needed. Pour it into the cream and stir just once or twice until very lightly combined and marbled.

10. 10

    Spoon into individual wide glass dishes or one large bowl. Scatter with tiny mint leaves and the reserved whole blackberries. Sprinkle with a little extra sugar if liked. Serve with the hazelnut biscuits.