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RHUBARB FOOL

Serves four.

500g (1lb 2 oz) rhubarb

75g (23⁄4oz) demerara sugar

fine strips of zest pared from

1 orange

½ teaspoon finely grated

root ginger or 2 pinches

of ground ginger (both

optional)

200ml (7fl oz) double cream

a squeeze of lemon juice

(optional)

Cut off the rhubarb’s leaves and trim its bases, then chop

the stalks into 3cm (11⁄4in) lengths. Place in a saucepan

with 200ml (7fl oz) water, the sugar, orange zest and ginger

and stew gently over a low heat for 10–12 minutes, or until

the rhubarb has completely collapsed.

Tip the rhubarb into a sieve over a bowl, then pour the

pulp into another bowl, discarding the zest. Save the juice

for a sorbet or cocktail (it’s good with gin). Whisk the pulp

vigorously. Should you want a really smooth fool, pass it

through a sieve or purée in a blender: personally, I prefer a

little texture.

Whip the cream until it thickens and forms soft peaks,

then whisk in the rhubarb purée. Taste the mixture – it

should have a nice balance between sweet and sour – and

add more sugar or a squeeze of lemon juice as necessary.

Pour the fool into individual glasses and chill in the fridge

for 4 hours.

SPONGE FINGERS

Makes about forty fingers.

5 egg yolks

125g (4½oz) golden caster

sugar

5 egg whites

150g (5½oz) plain flour, sifted

icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F, Gas Mark 2).

Whisk the egg yolks with two-thirds of the sugar until

the yolks are thick, pale and much increased in volume.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites, slowly adding

half the remaining sugar, until the mixture forms stiff

peaks. Stir in the remaining sugar, then fold the two

mixtures together. Sprinkle the sifted flour over the top,

then fold it in, making sure it is thoroughly incorporated,

while at the same time trying not to deflate the mixture

too much.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large

plain round nozzle and pipe out lengths of mixture the

size of a finger onto several non-stick baking sheets. Dust

the fingers with icing sugar and bake in the oven for 15

minutes. After removing the biscuits from the oven, dust

them again with icing sugar and leave for 5 minutes before

returning to the oven to finish for another 2 minutes.

WINE: Sweet wines with plenty of complementary acidity

work best with rhubarb. A good Vouvray would be ideal.

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