Rhubarb Syllabub recipe

Rhubarb and ginger are almost as perfect a combination as rhubarb and custard. These beautiful rhubarb syllabubs are delicious and incredibly easy to make.

This recipe is perfect for when rhubarb or forced rhubarb is in season. If you grow it in the garden you’ll no doubt be crying out for rhubarb recipes. This one is great for a quick dessert or a get ahead pudding for a dinner party.

The key thing to remember with rhubarb is that the leaves are poisonous so don’t be tempted to eat them. If you buy rhubarb from the supermarket they will usually have been removed. But, if you grow it at home then you’ll need to do this yourself. This is easy as you can simply cut the leaf away.

Rhubarb also has some great health benefits. It's a good source of antioxidants (said to be good for fighting heart disease and cancer) and Vitamin K, which helps wounds heal better.

Ingredients

• 450g rhubarb, sliced into sticks, reserving 8 very thin slices for decoration
• 4 balls stem ginger in syrup, finely diced
• 2tbsp vodka
• 75g golden caster sugar
• 150g mascarpone
• 300ml double cream
• 4tbsp icing sugar

You will need:

• 4 serving glasses

Method

1. Put the rhubarb, half the ginger, vodka, golden caster sugar and 2 tbsp water into a saucepan and bring to simmer. Cook for 5 mins or until the rhubarb has softened, but not lost too much of its shape. Then leave to cool.
2. Whip the mascarpone, double cream and icing sugar together until soft, pillowy peaks have formed.
3. Spoon a layer of rhubarb into the bottom of each glass, followed by a layer of mascarpone mixture. Repeat until you have another layer of each. Top with the reserved slices of raw rhubarb and a scattering of stem ginger. If you have time, leave to chill for an hour or two.