Flowering currants are a beautiful pop of pink in gardens, parks and the occasional hedgerow in spring. They are particularly abundant in March and April, but can still be flowering in early May in more northerly parts of the UK. I love their fruity aroma and gorgeous bright colour and they are just perfect as garnishes or frozen into flower ice cubes. The best way to make the most of their flavour is to make a syrup or cordial that can be used in spring drinks (just add a dash to some soda water and let the magic happen) or in baked goods or desserts. This Spring fool recipe is a great way to use the sweet syrup to add a floral edge to a quintessential seasonal pud.
I don’t think it gets much simpler than a fool in the springtime. It’s so easy to make and yet doesn’t lose any of its luxurious appeal as it’s all about that creamy texture and zing of fruit. The addition of a floral garnish is bound to impress and the flavours of the raspberries, flowering currants and mint combined give a fresh and bright result. This combination is my favourite at this time of year while the flowering currants are around, but the beauty of this recipe is that it can be adapted throughout the year depending on what’s in season and what is available. For example, try taking out the mint and swapping the raspberries with gooseberries or strawberries and pair with elderflower cordial, or make an autumn version with stewed apples and a warming, spiced elderberry syrup.
Flowering Currant, Raspberry & Mint Fool Recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp flowering currant syrup (see “Tips”)
- 250g raspberries
- 150g double cream
- 50g Greek yoghurt
- 2-3 fresh mint sprigs
Method
- Heat the raspberries in a saucepan with a splash of water until they are falling apart and a nice jammy consistency. Allow to cool before stirring in the flowering currant syrup. I’ve suggested 2 tbsp as a guide, but feel free to taste and amend to your liking.
- Remove the topmost leaves from your mint sprigs and set aside – we’ll use these as a garnish. Strip the rest of the leaves and finely chop. Whip the cream to soft peaks before gently folding in the yoghurt and chopped mint leaves.
- Spoon the cream into your serving bowls and marble in the raspberry and flowering currant coulis. Top with a garnish of currant flowers and fresh mint leaves.
Tips
To make a flowering currant cordial, you want equal volumes of flowers to water and sugar. For example, if you have 1 cup of flowers, you will want to use 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Make a simple syrup by gently heating the water and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved and you have a syrupy consistency. Allow to cool almost to lukewarm before pouring over your flowering currant flowers. If the syrup is too hot, you will lose the fruity flavour of the flowers and it will be rather unpleasant (think cat wee). Leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes before straining and bottling.
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe and feel free to share and tag me on Instagram with your flowering currant creations!
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