0. The Fool
Today we take a different sort of adventure – into the world of tarot. What better way to learn the tarot deck than a detailed study of each card with delicious desserts for each one? Where to begin with such a project? At the beginning, of course! The first card of the major arcana is 0, The Fool. A fool is already the name of a dessert so the creation for this one felt like an obvious choice.
A fool, as a dessert, is basically pureed fruit blended into whipped cream, layered in a pretty glass and topped with more fruit. I went with an amaretto cherry version with a layer of cheesecake at the bottom. The original was a bit too amaretto-heavy so I toned it back here.
The Fool in tarot is associated with these ideas and phrases: new chapter, fresh start, innocence, freedom, kindness, honorableness, immaturity, enthusiasm, and naivety. The concepts center around stepping from the stage into a different world or taking what you have learned and bringing that forward into your future adventures. This card ties the past and future together, and can represent a jumping-off point for new projects. I chose to go with things on this card that have personal meaning for me. The flying monkey represents old friends (they know why), and the donkey unicorn (#donkeycorn) represents hopefulness for the future (inspired by Luisa’s song “Surface Pressure” in the movie Encanto). The rainbow scarf in the background was from my grandpa, who always encouraged creativity and adventure, so of course it should come along on this one. The tiny green stone next to the monkey is adventurine.
0. The Fool (Dessert Tarot)
Equipment
- Several zip-top baggies or pastry bags
- Blender or food processor
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment OR large bowl with sturdy whisk
- Microwave
Ingredients
Cherry Puree & Whipped Cream
- 1 ½ lbs fresh cherries pitted, de-stemmed, and halved
- ¼ cup amaretto
- ¼ cup granulated sugar for cherries
- ⅛ tsp table salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar for whipped cream
CHEESECAKE
- 1 Tbsp water
- ½ tsp unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup marscapone (8 oz)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- ⅛ cup amaretto
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- small pinch of salt
Instructions
CHERRY PUREE & WHIPPED CREAM
- Bring 3/4 cup prepared cherries, 1/2 cup amaretto, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt to boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thick and syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Transfer to large bowl and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add remaining fresh cherries to the cooked cherries and toss to coat.
- Puree half of the cherry mixture in a blender or food processor, and set aside both the cherry puree and halved cherries (in separate bowls).
- In a large bowl, whip the whipping cream with the sugar just until stiff peaks form. (Do not over-mix or it will turn into sweetened butter)
- Fold the cherry puree into half of the whipped cream.
CHEESECAKE
- Combine water and gelatin in small bowl. Microwave until gelatin dissolves, about 20 seconds. Cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
- In medium bowl, whisk together mascarpone, brown sugar, 1/8 cup Amaretto, vanilla, small pinch of salt, and cooled gelatin mixture until smooth.
PLATING
- Spoon the cherry whipped cream, plain whipped cream, and cheesecake into SEPARATE zip-top baggies or pastry bags. If using baggies or disposable pastry bags, use scissors to cut off the tip/corner of the bag.
- Pipe layers of each into pretty glasses and top with the halved cherries.
