Cherry fool with vanilla shortbread

Name: Cherry fool with vanilla shortbread
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 8 min
Ingredients: 300 g Caster sugar; 900 g Plain flour (Main); 600 g Unsalted butter, softened; 1 ½ Vanilla pods, seeds scaped out (Main); 150 g Caster sugar; 500 g Cherries, save one for garnish (Main); 150 g Water; 250 ml Cream, whip to soft peaks (Main); 250 ml Yoghurt

8 min

Herald on Sunday

By Grant Allen

A fool is generally one third yoghurt, one third whipped cream and one third poached fruit. Serve in coupe glasses (fashionable in the late 70s). The shortbread gives the crunch factor.

Shortbread

300 g	Caster sugar
900 g	Plain flour (Main)
600 g	Unsalted butter, softened
1 ½	Vanilla pods, seeds scaped out (Main)

Poached Cherries

150 g	Caster sugar
500 g	Cherries, save one for garnish (Main)
150 g	Water

To Serve

250 ml	Cream, whip to soft peaks (Main)
250 ml	Yoghurt

Directions

For the shortbread

Put all the ingredients into a kitchen mixer and gently knead using the paddle attachment.
Once just combined, take out of the mixer and place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper about 60cm long by 30cm wide.
Take another sheet of parchment paper and place on top and roll the dough out to 1½ cm thick.
Try and get it to the edges as it will be a more efficient way to cut out the biscuits. Place in the fridge to cool completely.
Once cold, using a sharp knife, cut the shortbread into credit-card-size rectangles.
Place on a parchment-lined baking tray and set the biscuits 1cm apart to allow for expansion while cooking.
Cook at 180 degC for about eight minutes or until light golden brown.
Take out of the oven. Immediately sprinkle with castor sugar and leave to cool. Store in an airtight container until needed.

For the poached cherries

Cut cherries in half, remove stones. Put in a pot with sugar and water and simmer until just cooked, leave to cool.
This will make more than enough, just put the extra in a covered container in the fridge to have with granola or whatever. It will keep for about a week or so.
Put the cream and yoghurt into a bowl and combine with a spatula.
Now for the tricky bit, put the poached cherries in the mix and gently fold in to make a ripple effect.
Now carefully spoon into the glasses, using a reserved fresh cherry to top it off. Serve with a shortbread biscuit on the side.