Rhubarb Shortbread Trifle

Rhubarb is everywhere at this time of year, and looks so pretty in a trifle, against the yellow of custard and white whipped cream.   I've used thin shortbread biscuits instead of sponge cake, to give a bit of texture, plus slivers of ginger, which is one of the nicest accompaniments to rhubarb.   This is decorated with a gingernut biscuit, but next time I'll probably microwave some small rhubarb pieces and use them for decoration instead.   If you used gluten free biscuits, this would be another gluten-free pudding.   Serve in pretty little individual bowls/glasses.  This recipe makes approximately 4 large bowls, 5 small.

Rhubarb Shortbread Trifle

Custard:    

4 egg yolks

2 oz/50g caster sugar

1pt cream or half cream half milk

1/2tsp vanilla essence or half a scraped vanilla pod

1tsp cornflour (stops custard from curdling too quickly)

Mix yolks, sugar, cornflour and vanilla in bowl.  Heat cream until blood temperature, pour into yolks mix, stirring.   Strain back into the pan and heat gently, stirring well, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of the spoon.  If it starts to look grainy, get it straight out of the pan into a cold bowl and whisk like mad.   Leave to cool.

Trifle base:         

1lb/500g rhubarb, simmered slowly with approx 5oz/150g sugar

1 shortbread biscuit per glass

1 piece of stem ginger in syrup, per glass, chopped into pieces about fingernail size – more if you like ginger

a slup of Stones Ginger Wine

Put the biscuits into the glasses, add ginger pieces, and slosh the wine over it all.   Add the rhubarb.   Cover with the cold custard.

Top:            

3/4 to 1pt double or whipping cream

Whip the cream and top the trifle.  Decorate with ginger biscuits or small pieces of microwaved rhubarb (which keeps its shape).    Leave for a couple of hours to allow the flavours to percolate.