Gingerbread with rhubarb and orange fool
This sumptuous dessert recipe teams rhubarb with two of its classic flavour combinations, orange and ginger. The gingerbread keeps well in an airtight container for a few days if you have any leftover, which may be unlikely.
Ingredients
for the gingerbread
- 3 tbsp black treacle
- 150ml milk
- 175g unsalted butter, diced
- 175g dark muscovado sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 325g plain flour, sifted
- 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
for the fool
- 500g rhubarb, cut into 3-4cm lengths
- 150g caster sugar
- zest and juice of 2 oranges
- 250ml double cream
Method
main
-
Step 1
Preheat oven to 160°C/Gas 3. Grease and line a 30cm x 20cm brownie (baking) tray, one which holds 1.2 litres (2 pints) of liquid.
First, make the gingerbread
-
Step 1
Put the treacle, milk, butter and sugar in a saucepan and gently heat until the butter and sugar has melted.
-
Step 2
Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly, for about 5 minutes, then stir in the beaten eggs. Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Tip in the egg and sugar mixture and gently stir until all the ingredients are combined. Pour into the baking tin and bake for about 45 minutes, until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the fool
-
Step 1
put the rhubarb, sugar, orange juice and zest in a large pan. Gently heat for about 10-15 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender (test by inserting a sharp knife). Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Whisk the cream in a large bowl (don't over-whisk, just do enough so that it is forming soft peaks). Add the rhubarb mixture and gently fold into the cream. Serve the gingerbread cut into squares with a dollop of fool on the side.
