Blackberry Fool Infused With Lemon Verbena and Lavender – Probiotic, Low Carb, and Keto Friendly

A concoction of stewed fruit, whipped cream or custard, and sweetener of your choice, fool is an incredibly easy, healthy treat.

My blackberry fool recipe has a probiotic twist for even greater health benefits!

According to Thehistoricfoodie’s Blog, fool can be dated back to 17th-century England and France. There is no question as to why this dessert has been a favorite for hundreds of years. It’s absolutely delicious.

In my version I use heavy whipped cream mixed with labneh (strained yogurt) for a light but rich texture and a pleasantly tart flavor. Bonus: a ton of those lacto-fermenting friendly bacteria!

Labneh: A Quick Introduction.

Sometimes called labneh cheese, labneh is just strained yogurt. When you strain yogurt through a cheesecloth it removes the whey, resulting in a thick probiotic dairy product with a texture similar to cream cheese. You can eat it as is or add a variety of different savory or sweet flavorings.

Don’t throw away that whey! It can be used to make my Healthy Probiotic Mayonnaise, Lacto-Fermented Cranberries, lacto-fermented veggies, fermented drinks, soaked grains, or smoothies and popsicles.

I make my own raw cow’s milk yogurt and from that I make labneh.

To make your own labneh take 1 pint or more of good quality plain whole-milk yogurt and strain it through a tight weave cheesecloth or an organic cotton produce bag (my favorite method) until the whey stops dripping. This process takes at least 6 hours. I let mine drain overnight.

These are photos from my Clabber Milk post but they illustrate the method used.

For more instruction please see my recipe How To Make Labneh – Strained Yogurt Cheese.

To Prepare the Fool:

Recipe yields six 1/2-cup servings with 13 grams net carbs total or 2.2 grams net carbs per serving! I use the USDA Food Composition Database for my nutrition information.

In a small saucepan combine the blackberries, water, lemon verbena, and lavender. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until the sauce has reduced by half.

Strain the reduced berries through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl to remove the seeds and herbs. Make sure to press as much pulp through as possible! Discard the seeds and refrigerate the sauce until chilled.

In a separate bowl (I use my KitchenAid for this step) whip the cream, vanilla, and sweetener together. When it is whipped to soft peak stage add the labneh and whip it in until fully combined. Remove the whisk and fold in the chilled blackberry sauce.

Serve the fresh fool immediately or store it in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Probiotic Blackberry Fool

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This classic dessert gets a tart and tangy makeover with real homemade labneh. 

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (9 grams net carbs)
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 fresh lemon verbena leaves, optional
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender flower, optional
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon sweetener, or 1/8 teaspoon drops liquid stevia
• 1/4 cup labneh (4 grams net carbs)

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan combine the blackberries, water, lemon verbena, and lavender. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce has reduced by half.
2. Strain the reduced berries through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl to remove the seeds and herbs. Make sure to press as much pulp through as possible! Discard the seeds and refrigerate the sauce until chilled.
3. In a separate bowl (I use my KitchenAid for this step) whip the cream, vanilla, and sweetener together. When it is whipped to soft peak stage add the labneh and whip it in until fully combined. Remove the whisk and fold in the chilled blackberry sauce.
4. Serve the fresh fool immediately or store it in a covered container in the refrigerator.