Bowl of pale green gooseberry fool dessert with swirls of cream on a rustic wooden table, Georgian-style serving

Georgian England · England

Hannah Glasse's Gooseberry Fool

Name: Hannah Glasse's Gooseberry Fool
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: England
Ingredients: 900 g gooseberries, topped and tailed; 240 ml water; 150 g caster sugar; 480 ml double cream, whipped

From The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy · Hannah Glasse · 1747

Verified from original source

A classic Georgian dessert of stewed gooseberries folded into sweetened cream.

Historical note: Take two quarts of gooseberries, put to them as much water as will cover them...

History

Hannah Glasse's Gooseberry Fool appears in her influential 1747 cookbook, representing a quintessentially English dessert combining stewed gooseberries with cream. 'Fool' derives from the French 'fouler' (to crush) or possibly 'folé' (crushed). Popular in 18th-century England when gooseberries were widely cultivated, the dish appealed to middling and upper classes who could afford cream and sugar. Glasse's recipe simplified earlier versions, making it accessible to domestic cooks. The dessert remained beloved through Victorian times and persists today, though modern versions often use custard or whipped cream rather than plain cream.

Sources

Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, 1747
Jennifer Stead, 'Quizzing Glasse: or Hannah Scrutinized', Petits Propos Culinaires 13 (1983) and 14 (1983)
C. Anne Wilson, The Book of Marmalade, 1985 (discusses fruit preserves and cookery)
Oxford English Dictionary entry for 'fool' (culinary term)
Ivan Day, 'Gooseberry Fool and Other Fruit Fools', Historic Food website

Serves

Prep

15m

Cook

15m

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

· 900 g gooseberries, topped and tailed
· 240 ml water
· 150 g caster sugar
· 480 ml double cream, whipped

Method

1
Place gooseberries in a saucepan with water and simmer gently until completely soft, about 15 minutes.
2
Pass through a sieve to remove skins and seeds.
3
Stir sugar into the warm purée until dissolved, then cool completely.
4
Fold the gooseberry purée into the whipped cream.
5
Spoon into glasses and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

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