Rhubarb trifle

When I was small, one of my favourite things to do, was to go into my Grandmothers garden, head for the rhubarbs in the farthest corner, pick the reddest of all of the rhubarbs, swiftly washing it under the tap, and with the rhubarb in one hand, and my grandmother’s sugar bowl in the other – I would then find a quiet spot at the back of the garden, behind the hedge,  and sit under the bushes, dipping the rhubarb into the sugar and simply tucking in!

It was absolutely delicious, the mix of the sour and the sweet, was near perfection, and whenever I see rhubarbs now, they remind me of my childhood. My Grandmother still gives me lots of rhubarbs, and I have the freezer full at the moment. It is always a good idea to harvest the rhubarbs, before the stalks become too big, as I think they hold more flavour when they are smaller. And if you fancy a mouthful of summer and sunshine, you have loads rhubarbs in the freezer 🙂

Today I have chosen to share one of the easiest, yet tastiest Rhubarb recipes. It is the retro Rhubarb trifle. It is so simple and yummy, and you can literally whip it up in no time.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 200 g macarons – a Danish biscuit, or you can use some crumbled up sponge cake instead.
• 2 dl full fat cream for whipping,
• Strawberries for decoration
• Mint leaves for decoration

For the rhubarb compote.

• 500 g of rhubarb, chopped into 2 cm bits
• 50-75 g sugar
• 1 dash of vanilla sugar

Pop the rhubarbs into s small saucepan, and gently bring to the boil adding your sugar and vanilla sugar, a bit of the time, – I suggested 50-75 gr. depending on your own taste. I add mine and taste as I go. Leave to cool.

For the vanilla custard

• 4 dl full fat milk
• 3 eggs
• 100 g sugar
• 1 vanilla pod – seeds scraped out
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

What you’ll need to do:

• Gently bring the milk to the boil, and remove just before it boils.
• Mix the eggs, vanilla, sugar, and cornstarch together in a bowl, and whisk until pale yellow and fluffy.
• Add the milk bit by bit.
• Pour the custard mixture into your saucepan and slowly heat up whilst whisking. The custard will get thicker and thicker.
• Take off the heat and leave to cool completely.

And here’s how you finish the trifle:

• Get your macarons or sponge, and break them into bits, and pop into the bottom of your jar
• Add a layer of your rhubarb compote
• Add a layer of your vanilla custard
• Finally, add a layer of freshly whipped cream
• Decorate the top with fresh strawberries & mint leaves
• ENJOY!!!
• Recipe, styling & Photography – Anya Jensen Photography ©