I am back home in Ireland at the moment, where it has been unseasonably cold and snowy. Despite the bad weather, there is still some hardy rhubarb growing in the garden surviving against all the odds. I love the taste of sweet and tart rhubarb, especially with some creamy home-made custard. I decided to make a mini trifle with these two elements and topped with cream and ginger biscuits. These mini trifles are an elegant and a light alternative to a big heavy trifle. The ginger biscuit crumbs add a satisfying crunch and the cream makes the traditional rhubarb and custard combination a little more indulgent. So, if you are looking for a nice simple and seasonal dessert this Easter, this a perfect one to try.
Ingredients
Compote
- 100g of rhubarb
- 1 – 2 tablespoons of water
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
Custard
- 150ml of cream
- 2 egg yolks
- A few drops of vanilla extract/ some vanilla beans scraped from the pod
- 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon of cornflour
Topping
- 50ml of cream
- 2 ginger biscuits
Method
This recipe serves two. Chop the rhubarb into small discs and place in a saucepan with the water and sugar. Rhubarb varies a bit in flavor, depending on time of the year, so, you may need more or less sugar and water. Cook the rhubarb for about 10 minutes. You should end up with rhubarb that is a nice creamy consistency that is sweet but still a little tart. Take the rhubarb off the heat and allow to cool.
To make the custard, heat the cream in a saucepan, until almost boiling point. Mix the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and cornflour together in a bowl. Add the hot cream to the egg yolks and mix well together with a spoon. Then, place the cream back into the saucepan and heat over a low to medium heat. Heat gently, stirring all the time until the custard is thick and creamy and coats the back of the spoon. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Place the biscuits in a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin to make biscuit crumbs.
Place the cooled rhubarb in the bottom of an espresso glass/ wine glass/ ramekin. Spoon the custard over the rhubarb, followed by the cream. Sprinkle the biscuit crumbs on top of the cream and serve straight away. If you are making these in advance, you can chill them in the fridge, but don’t add the biscuit crumbs until you are ready to serve as they will go soggy.
