A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins shares the experiences of four families living in four different centuries as they prepare and later enjoy a treat (Blackberry Fool) together.
We love how the book shares the details of how the treat would be prepared using the tools and techniques of each period.
- Three hundred years ago, a woman and her daughter milked their cow and then used a bundle of clean, soft twigs to make whipped cream. They mixed in wild blackberries they had picked by hand.
- Two hundred years ago, a woman and her daughter used a metal whisk to make whipped cream from cream delivered from a nearby dairy. They mixed in blackberries they had picked from the plantation garden where they labored as slaves.
- One hundred years ago, a woman and her daughter used a handheld rotary beater to make whipped cream from pasteurized cream left at their door by the milkman. They mixed in blackberries they had purchased at an open-air market.
- A couple of years ago, a man and his son used an electric mixer to make whipped cream from cream they had purchased at the supermarket. They mixed in blackberries they had purchased at the farmer’s market.
The book also details how the dessert would have been chilled in each century and the context in which it would have been consumed. At the end of the book, the author explains the origins of the dessert’s name and explains how she researched all the historical details provided in the book.
After experiencing the preparation and consumption of Blackberry Fool vicariously through the book’s characters, we decided to join the action! You can, as well, by using this recipe, which was provided in the book.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups fresh blackberries (frozen will work, but fresh are nicer)
- ½ cup sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
Instructions
Mash the berries with a potato masher or large fork (if you have a food processor, you can “mash” the berries more easily by running them through it). Press the berries through a sieve to remove the seeds. Sprinkle the berries with ¼ cup of the sugar. Stir.
In a separate bowl, mix together the cream, vanilla extract, and the remaining sugar. Using a whisk or mixer, whip the mixture until soft peaks form.
Gently fold the sugared berries into the whipped cream. There should be white and purple streaks. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.
Notes
My two oldest girls were able to prepare this dessert with minimal assistance from me. They used a food processor to “mash” the berries and skipped the step of pressing the berries through a sieve. They enjoyed its flavor, but blackberries aren’t their favorite berry, so they requested we try it again sometime with strawberries or cherries.
Snag a copy of A Fine Dessert from your library or bookstore and join the families it features in making (and enjoying) Blackberry Fool as a family!
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