Pudding Baking

Rhubarb Shortbread & Ginger Cream

A sensational dessert that makes the most of the season's finest pink rhubarb

30 minutes prep, 35 minutes cook

Serves 6

Ingredients

100g plain flour

50g cornflour

50g caster sugar

100g butter

For the rhubarb compote:

70ml red wine

70ml water

70g caster sugar

¾ tsp ground ginger

340g forced rhubarb, trimmed, cut into 4cm lengths

For the topping:

300ml double cream

150g natural yogurt

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3. Add the flour, cornflour, sugar and butter to a bowl and rub in with fingertips or a mixer until fine crumbs. Continue to mix and squeeze the crumbs together to make a ball, then lightly knead.

Roll out thinly. Try placing two boards either side of the rolling pin to ensure an even thickness. Trim to a rectangle 30 x 10cm. Cut into six rectangles, each 7.5 x 5cm/3 x 2 inch.

Transfer to a baking sheet, prick the biscuits with a fork and bake for 20–25 minutes until straw coloured and firm. Neaten the edges with a serrated knife if needed, then leave to cool.

o make the compote, add the red wine, water, sugar and ginger to a small frying pan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the rhubarb, cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat and leave to cool and continue cooking in the liquid until just softened but holding their shape.

Place a sieve over a bowl, tip the rhubarb mix into the sieve then pour the juices from the bowl back into the frying pan and reduce until thickened and syrupy and you have about 6 tablespoons.

Whip the cream in a second bowl until it forms firm peaks, then fold in the yogurt. Transfer the shortbread biscuits to individual serving plates and stick to the plates with a small dot of cream.

Pipe or spoon two layers of the cream over the biscuits. Arrange the rhubarb side by side on the top, then drizzle with a little of the wine syrup and serve.