Blueberry Fool

This is one of my favorite hot-weather desserts. A little advance planning makes it easy to throw together, and it's delicious! A "fool" is simply a dessert with fruit and whipped cream.

Blueberry Fool

½ pint fresh blueberries, washed and picked over (8 ounces)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar or to taste

¾ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small, nonreactive saucepan, combine blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until blueberries begin to break down and juices boil and thicken - about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Place small bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir mixture occasionally until cold. Or make this mixture in advance and refrigerate.

In a separate bowl, combine cream, confectioner's sugar (or honey), and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1/3 cup blueberry sauce.

Divide among 4 dessert dishes and spoon remaining sauce over tops.

DONNA'S NOTES: I try to make the sauce well ahead of time and just stick it in the refrigerator to chill. I think ice-water baths are a pain in the neck! I'll fix the blueberries in the morning, when I'm fixing breakfast, and the sauce will be plenty cool by the time I want to serve it.