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Autumn fool

Time 40 minutes
Yields Makes 8 individual fools or one family-style fool
Autumn fool
(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
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“There’s something very charming about desserts served in a glass,” says Roxana Jullapat. “They’re nostalgic in the right way. And there’s a real interest now in British desserts — fools, trifles, flummeries and syllabubs. This is my interpretation of a fool.” Traditionally, stewed fruit is stirred into custard; this version mixes pumpkin puree with whipped cream and mascarpone. Make sure the graham cracker crumb is really toasty. You can also serve the fool in one large dish or mold.

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Graham cracker crust

1

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, wheat flour, salt, cinnamon, butter and brown sugar, pulsing until they come together to form a somewhat firm dough.

2

Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to a thinness of approximately one-eighth inch. Place the dough, still covered, on a cookie sheet and chill for 20 minutes.

3

Carefully peel the top sheet of parchment paper and bake the dough until it is a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool the graham cracker completely, then crumble the cracker and pulse in a food processor until it is broken into coarse crumbs. This makes about 2 1/2 cups crumbs.

Pumpkin filling and autumn fool

1

In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree with the ground cinnamon.

2

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream, brown sugar and mascarpone on medium to high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks, about 5 minutes.

3

Carefully fold the pumpkin puree into the whipped cream mixture using a rubber spatula. Fill a large pastry bag set with a plain decorative tip with the pumpkin filling.

4

To build the fools, place 8 half-pint glasses or Mason jars on a tray. Put a tablespoon of the graham cracker crumbs into each glass, pipe about 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture directly on top. Continue alternating until you fill the glasses to the top, finishing with graham crackers. Alternatively, to serve a family-style fool, build the layers in a trifle dish (4-quart capacity). Refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to 24 hours, before serving.

Adapted from Roxana Jullapat of Cooks County.