Rhubarb And Custard Trifle, Leith's Cookery school recipe of the day

[Catriona]

I clipped this recipe from a newspaper yesterday, and I am using it for the first time today for a small dinner party this evening. The forced rhubarb is just starting to appear in the shops - and rhubarb is one of my favourite fruits (in season). This recipe uses a number of 'shop bought' ingredients, such as cake - but it sounds really scrumptious and, more importantly, quick! .

Makes enough to serve 6-8 people
2 lb rhubarb
4 pieces stem ginger, chopped
2 vanilla pods
3 tablespoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 x 500 ml tub of ready made vanilla custard
1 pt double cream
1 x 300g ready made Madeira cake (or I suppose you could use a plain sponge)
1 x 290g ready made ginger cake (I like MacVitie's)
2.5 fl oz Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon icing sugar

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/375F

Trim rhubarb and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place in a roasting tin with the crystallised ginger, one of the vanilla pods, caster sugar and ground ginger. Cover with aluminium foil, place in oven and roast for about 40 mins or until just tender. Leave to cool.

Mix the custard with 2 tablespoons of the double cream. Add the seeds from the second vanilla pod.

Slice the cakes and then assemble the pudding: arrange a few slices of the cakes in the bottom of a large bowl and then add the rhubarb and custard mixtures in layers, drizzling with the alcohol and any liquid from the rhubarb as you go. Continue with the layering until all the ingredients are used up.

Whisk the remaining cream and sweeten with the icing sugar. Spread evenly over the trifle. Chill for an hour or so and just before serving, sprinkle the top with the crushed Ameretti biscuits.

[barddas]

Interesting..... sounds good! i think the 'bite' of the ginger is a nice addition.
Let me know what you think of it afterwards, Cat.

Jason

[Catriona]

Will do!

[Arianrhod]

I have never eaten Rhubarb...
I have on the other hand,
Just purchased a new Trifle bowl !

Trifle is one of my very favorite desserts ..
I can try this one , and Rhubarb for the first time !

In Service to the Dream,
Paula

[Catriona]

It was very nice - our friends enjoyed it.... but, I'd probably make custard from scratch another time. I bought ready made custard from Marks & Spencer - and it was a little too sweet for my taste.

But, the plain and ginger cake layers made an interesting contrast. I have often used ginger when cooking things like a rhubarb crumble, so I knew I'd like this pudding

Another small point - I think 40 mins is a bit too long to cook the rhubarb. The young 'forced' stuff available at the moment is still quite thin and next time I'd only bake it for about 25-30 mins. But then, I like rhubarb that still has a little bite - al dente, if you will

[Arianrhod]

Thanks for that tip

Ginger is a wonderful thing!
This time of year, I brew and drink Ginger Root Tea..
Oh dear.. I may have written this before!
but, here it goes..

Just peel and slice the ginger root, to coin size peices..
about 4 or 5 in a big mug, add hot water and honey ..
It is soothing , opens the sinues and is delicious..

Be just the thing with any of that trifle , if there is any left over Cat

In Service to the Dream,
Paula