Gooseberry & Elderflower Fool - Lavender Short Bread
serves 6

Gooseberry season is here!!
Easy to prepare in advance, great to look at and fabulous to eat at any time of day!
Take this childhood favourite of mine and add a little sophistication.

For the Compote
500g Fresh Gooseberries
150g Caster Sugar
100ml Elderflower Cordial

For the Custard
1 Vanilla Pod
200ml Milk
200ml Double Cream
80g Caster Sugar
4 Egg Yolks
1 tsp Corn Flower
200 ml Double cream / Creme Fraiche

For the Lavender Shortbread
125g Unsalted Butter
40 g Caster Sugar
15g Lavender Sugar (Waitrose)
125g Plain Flour
15g Corn Flour
Pinch of Salt

Method

To make the compote
1/ Heat up a medium size heavy bottom pan.
2/ Add the gooseberries and sugar and stew quickly using the back of a spoon or fork to break down the berries.
3/ Cool and refrigerate.
4/ Mix in the neat elderflower cordial, to taste.

To make the custard
1/ In a thick bottomed pan slowly bring the milk, cream and scraped vanilla pod to the boil.
2/ Meanwhile mix the egg yolks, sugar and corn flour together in a bowl.
3/ Pour a little of the hot liquid onto the yolk mix stirring continuously. Pour this mixture back into the pan and cook out until it has thickened - BE CARE FUL NOT TO BOIL Strain the custard into a bowl, cover and allow to cool.

To make the Shortbread

1/ Using an electric food mixer, cream the butter and sugar together.
2/ Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until bound.
3/ Cover and rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
4/ Roll out to 5mm thickness, cut into 40mm discs and bake @ 160' for 8-12 minutes.

Assembly

1/ In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream to firm peak and fold in the creme fraiche, custard and the majority of compote. Season with a little more cordial if required - It depends on how sour the gooseberries are.
2/ Spoon into glasses or pretty bowls. Garnish with the remaining compote, shortbread biscuits and fresh lavender flowers.

Happy Cooking!

Tom's top tips

1/ Although their season is even shorter than their green cousins, purple or red gooseberries really do look and taste the business.

2/ Replace the gooseberries with black currants later in the year and season the mix with creme de cassis.

3/ The teaspoon of cornflower will thicken the custard further when cool.

4/ As with most dishes, it's about personal taste so be flexible with the quantities of sugar and cordial that you use - but remember - "you can always add but you can't take away!"