First make the ginger biscuits, or ginger nuts as well call them in the UK. Ginger biscuits are one of Britain’s favorite biscuits and we have been eating them for centuries. They make the perfect partner to a hot cup of tea, or in this case we will eat them with a rhubarb fool.
| 100g salted butter, cubed | 100g golden syrup or honey |
| 75g light brown soft sugar | 250g flour |
| 2.5 tsp baking powder | 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda |
| 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger | 1.5 tbsp ginger powder |
| 1 egg |
- Heat the oven to 190C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper. In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter, sugar, fresh ginger and golden syrup and leave to cool.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Gradually stir in the cooled sugar mixture and the egg yolk and knead briefly to make a dough.
- Roll the dough into 20g balls (this mix made 24 balls) and put on the prepared baking trays with 3cm between each to allow for spreading. Bake for 8-10 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool on the trays for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Then we can make the fool. The name comes from the French fouler, meaning to press or crush, referring to the crushed fruits that are gently folded into thick cream. A fool is a classic British dessert made with stewed fruit and whipped cream. The fruit should be tart, such as rhubarb, gooseberries, raspberries or blackberries. The contrast in rich cream and sweet-tart fruit is what makes this dish. The secrets to the perfect fool are to not overcook the fruit, we don’t want to make a jam, and to gently fold the fruit into the whipped cream.
| 500g rhubarb | 5 tbsp sugar |
| 300ml 45% cream | 100g yoghurt (Greek if possible) |
| Mint leaves (optional) |
1. Put the rhubarb in a pan with 4 tbsp sugar and heat gently, covered, until just tender. Uncover, turn up the heat slightly, and allow some of the juice to evaporate but be careful not to overcook the rhubarb. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar if necessary, then drain the rhubarb, reserving the juice. Allow to fully cool.
2. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks, then gently stir in the yoghurt. Fold in about half of the cooled rhubarb, and chill for at least an hour.
3. Serve in glasses by layering the cream mix and the rhubarb, finishing with cream on the top. Pour some of the reserved juice to pour over the top, and garnish with a few mint leaves on each portion.
