Rhubarb and strawberry fool

Stage 1 – Leeds/Harrogate: Rhubarb fool is a great classic English family dessert that's easy to prepare and so delicious. The Yorkshire “rhubarb triangle” region grows about 80 per cent of all the rhubarb produced in England. It's a brilliant match for the juicy strawberries in this simple recipe.

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 600 g rhubarb, approximately
• 90 g (¼ cup) honey
• 200 g strawberries, hulled, sliced
• 1 cup mascarpone
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
• 2 cups whipped cream

Cooling time 2 hours

Instructions

Trim and wash rhubarb. Peel and cut into 5 cm pieces.

Place the honey and 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the rhubarb and cook for 2-3 minutes or until starting to soften, stirring occasionally. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until rhubarb is just soft. Add the strawberry and gently stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until strawberries are just soft. Transfer to a bowl and stand for 1-2 hours or until cooled.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the rhubarb and strawberry mixture into 6 glasses.

Whisk together the mascarpone and lemon rind until smooth. Add three-quarters of the remaining stewed rhubarb mixture (do not mix), then the whipped cream.

Using a table knife, swirl the mixture together, then spoon or pipe it into the glasses. Top with remaining rhubarb mixture. Serve.

Photography by Benito Martin. Styling by Sarah O’Brien. Food preparation by Alice Storey.

Props by Hayden Youlley Design.

In-video photography by Peter Warren.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.