Roasted Strawberry Jam Fool

Roasted Strawberry Jam Fool

A dessert "fool" is simplicity itself. It harkens back to a time when fresh summer fruits and farm fresh cream may have been among the few simple ingredients on hand to create something delicious. We have featured a few versions in different desserts like our Blueberry Fool Cake or our Strawberry Fool Pavlova Cake. It also makes a terrific easy dessert when served on top of a slice of pound cake with a sprinkle of fresh berries. Sprinkle the pound cake with sweet sherry or a berry liqueur and you have an instant summer fruit trifle that you can prepare individually right on the serving plates.

The intensified fruit flavor  in our Roasted Strawberry Jam makes it an ideal jam to mix with the whipped cream and is probably the best version of a "fool" that I've ever tried. Sampling this dessert makes me think of using the jam in a strawberry swirl ice cream for as another delicious summer dessert. Stay tuned.

This dessert has two components which come together at the end, Roasted Strawberry Jam and Vanilla Whipped Cream. Serves 4-.

Roasted Strawberry Jam

• 2 pounds very ripe strawberries, washed and quartered
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Toss the strawberries together in a glass baking dish. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees F stirring occasionally until the jam reduces and the juice almost completely boils off. Watch it closely toward the end of the cooking time because the sugars will be very concentrated and will more easily burn. Cool completely.


Vanilla Whipped Cream

2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
2 tsp vanilla extract 

Whip the cream, vanilla and sugar to firm peaks.

When the jam is completely cool, fold several heaping tablespoons of it through the Vanilla Whipped Cream.