Classic British Lemon Fool Dessert (Printable)

Light British dessert with silky lemon cream and whipped cream. Ready in 15 minutes with bright citrus flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lemon Cream

01 - 2 large eggs
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 lemons, zested and juiced
04 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

→ Whipped Cream

05 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, chilled
06 - 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
07 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Garnish

08 - Lemon zest
09 - Fresh berries
10 - Shortbread biscuits

# How To Make It:

01 - In a small saucepan, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
02 - Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Transfer lemon cream to a bowl, cover, and chill until cooled, approximately 20 minutes, or accelerate chilling in the freezer for 10 minutes.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract to soft peaks using an electric mixer or hand whisk.
04 - Gently fold the cooled lemon cream into the whipped cream, leaving some streaks for a marbled effect if desired.
05 - Spoon into serving glasses or bowls. Garnish with lemon zest, berries, or a shortbread biscuit as desired. Serve immediately or chill for up to 2 hours.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in fifteen minutes but tastes like you spent all afternoon fussing over it.
  • The bright lemon flavor is clean and refreshing, never cloying or heavy.
  • You can make it ahead and it actually holds up beautifully in the fridge for a couple of hours.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and easily adaptable to whatever citrus you have on hand.
02 -
  • Keep the heat low when cooking the lemon cream or the eggs will scramble and you'll end up with sweet lemon scrambled eggs instead of custard.
  • Make sure the lemon cream is completely cool before folding it into the whipped cream, or the warmth will deflate all that lovely airiness.
  • Don't skip zesting the lemons before juicing them, the zest carries so much of the bright, aromatic flavor that makes this dessert sing.
03 -
  • Use a fine grater or microplane for the lemon zest to avoid any bitter white pith sneaking into your custard.
  • If you want a richer, more decadent fool, replace a few tablespoons of the whipped cream with mascarpone for a velvety, almost cheesecake-like finish.
  • Taste the lemon cream before folding and adjust sweetness if needed, some lemons are more tart than others and a little extra sugar can balance things beautifully.
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