Plum &
Lavender Fool

Plums and greengages pop up all over the place in late summer...Picking Plums in Greenwich

A fool is traditionally a blend of two principle components- whipped cream and fruit puree. I prefer to use a mix of thick yoghurt and unscented honey. A teaspoon full of honey per pint of yoghurt should be plenty. Make this up first and keep refrigerated.

Rinse the plums and heat gently in a saucepan with two large sprigs of lavender until stewed. Push the fruit through a sieve to remove the skin and stones, and allow it to cool.

Where you go from here is up to you. I like to give the fools a marbled effect by splitting the yoghurt mix in two and mixing one half with a tablespoon or two of the plum puree to colour it pink. I then layer the three parts (pink yoghurt, white yoghurt and puree) in short tumblers. I top each fool with a couple of lavender flowers and return them to the refrigerator. Serve with lavender shortbread.