Gooseberry Fool and Almond Shortbread

Recipe Name: Gooseberry fool in the Aga range cooker

By: Antonia

Meal Type: Dessert

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook time: 3 Hours

Servings: 6

Description:

A delicious summery dessert. Serve in individual glasses with a crisp biscuit such as the easy almond shortbreads below.

450g/1 lb. gooseberries

75-100g/2.5-3.5 oz. golden caster sugar*

2 tbsp. elderflower cordial

250ml./8 fl. oz. double cream

100ml./3 fl. oz. full fat Greek yoghurt

Method:

Top and tail the gooseberries by snipping each end with a pair of scissors, or pinching with a thumb nail. Place into a saucepan with the sugar and elderflower cordial.
Heat gently on the simmering plate until bubbling and the gooseberries start to split. Cover with a lid and transfer to the simmering oven for approximately 20 minutes until very soft. Taste and stir in a touch more sugar if too tart.
Put a few gooseberries to one side to decorate the top of the fools, if wished. Push remaining gooseberries and juices through a fine sieve into a bowl or jug – you should be left with just a small quantity of skin and pips. Cool and then chill the gooseberry purée.
Whisk the double cream until it forms soft, floppy peaks. Fold in the Greek yoghurt and finally the gooseberry purée. Pour/scrape into individual glasses and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with a couple of reserved gooseberries on top.

Aga Range Cooker tips:

*Adjust the quantity of sugar to taste. If your gooseberries are particularly sour, you may need to add a little more. If still too tart at the end, sweeten with a little sieved icing sugar.
You can cook the gooseberries on the simmering plate but do stir regularly to prevent the fruit catching on the bottom of the pan.
Cooking slowly in the simmering oven is hassle-free, preserves heat in your ovens and leaves you free to make a start on the biscuits!
For a dairy-free version, simply use plant-based alternatives to the cream and yoghurt.

Delicious crisp biscuits with a subtle almond flavour. Perfect for serving alongside creamy desserts.

Makes approximately 24

Ingredients:

You may need:

Line two large ‘fits on runners’ baking trays with silicone baking sheet or grease proof paper. Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the almond extract.
Stir in the flour, almonds, semolina and pinch of salt. Mix together until a dough starts to form. Bring together with your hands, shape into a disc, wrap in cling film or greaseproof paper and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
On a well floured surface, roll out the dough to the thickness of a pound coin. Use a biscuit cutter of choice to cut shapes and transfer them to baking trays.
In a 3 or 4 oven Aga range cooker – slide baking tray onto third runners and bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until starting to brown at the edges. Rotate the tray half way through the baking time.
In a 2 oven Aga range cooker –place baking tray onto a grid shelf resting on the floor of the roasting oven and slide the cold plain shelf onto the second runners.
Bake for approximately 8 minutes, or until starting to turn brown at the edges. Rotate the tray half way through baking time.
Remove from oven and cool for 2 minutes on the tray before lifting carefully to a wire rack with a palette knife.

Aga range cooker tips and notes:

If you have a two oven Aga range cooker, bake the biscuits in batches. The cold plain shelf will moderate the temperature in the roasting oven for about 20 minutes – replace with a (cold) roasting tin or baking tray for the second batch.
If you have a baking oven, bake one tray in the baking oven and one tray in the roasting oven, as per instructions above.
Adding semolina to the shortbread results in a crunchy biscuit. If you prefer a softer version, replace the semolina with more plain flour.