Papaya Fool

Ghana is not particularly big on desserts. However, a classic fruit-based one in Ghana and other parts of English-speaking countries of Africa is the “fool,” which in North America nowadays usually means a mixture of whipped cream and crushed fruit. In Ghana, it means a custard mixed with crushed, and usually cooked, fresh fruit like mango, papaya, or soursop.

I was taught to make this fool using “Bird’s custard powder,” invented in 1837 by the English chemist Alfred Bird, and conta