Rhubarb and Orange Fool Dessert

Rhubarb and Orange Fool is a sweet creamy dessert made with roasted rhubarb, whipped cream with a hint of orange zest.  It’s a super easy recipe and the perfect make-ahead dessert for summer entertaining. 

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What is rhubarb? 

Rhubarb is a hardy perennial plant with pink, red or pale green stems that are most often used in desserts like crumbles and pies.

It has a tart flavour and is too sharp to eat raw, but combined with sugar and other ingredients it has a delicious tangy taste. 

How do you grow rhubarb? 

Rhubarb is grown from a crown.  This is a thick rhizome which is planted just below the surface of the soil.

Rhubarb plants like lots of moisture and you need to mulch the plant to keep it from getting too dry. 

When is rhubarb in season? 

The best rhubarb is available in Spring.  The earliest rhubarb you can buy is forced, this means it has been grown in the dark Forced rhubarb has pale pink stems and is tender and sweet.  

Rhubarb continues to grow throughout the summer but as the season progresses the stems become tougher.

My garden rhubarb

I have several well-established crowns of rhubarb in my garden. They have been in the garden for at least 50 years and pop up every year providing lots of delicious rhubarb stalks. 

Why do we call this dessert a Fool?

The term ‘fool’ is first recorded in the book The Compleat Cook published in 1658 where there is a recipe for Gooseberry Fool.

The most likely derivation of the name is from the French word ‘fouler’ which means to mash or to press.  The fruit for a fool is pureed and this would originally have been achieved with a sieve.

Rhubarb Fool is one of the most popular cold desserts using rhubarb.  Rhubarb and Orange Fool adds the extra zing of fresh orange and orange zest to this creamy dessert recipe. 

How to make Rhubarb and Orange Fool 

Roast the Rhubarb

Cut the rhubarb into even-sized pieces and place in an ovenproof dish.  Add the orange juice and half the zest. Roat for about 10 minutes until tender.  Leave to cool.

Make the Orange Zest garnish

Place the remaining strands of orange zest into a pan and cover with water.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the sugar and continue to simmer gently until the liquid becomes syrupy.  

Remove the orange zest and place on baking parchment to dry. 

Whip the Cream

Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks.  You can whip the cream by hand with a whisk or use an electric mixer.

Make the Rhubarb Puree

Blend the rhubarb pieces with some of the orange juice liquid in the roasting dish. If you don’t have a blender you can push the softened rhubarb through a non-metallic sieve and add a little the liquid to the puree. 

The Froothie Evolve Blender

I use the Froothie Evolve Blender for all my blending and much more because it has a heating jug as well as being a super-powerful blender.  Read my review to find out more.

Currently on sale at £499 on the Froothie. Buy through my Ambassador Link and you get an additional 2 years warranty, which brings the warranty to 7 years. 

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Combine the Rhubarb and Cream

Gently fold the rhubarb mixture into the cream with a metal spoon.

Top Tip

If your fool is lacking a pink colour add a drop of red food colouring or half a teaspoon of beetroot powder.

Serving Suggestion

Serve in individual glass bowls or glasses decorated with the sugared strips of orange zest.

More Rhubarb Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen

Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars are a delicious combination of flavours and textures.  Top the oaty base with a rich, smooth baked cheesecake layered with pieces of tart, roasted rhubarb, and even more rhubarb puree swirled on top.  They are absolutely delicious. 

Peach and Rhubarb Upside Down Cake is really moist and the perfect ‘pudding cake’. Serve warm or cold as a dessert with cream, yoghurt, custard or ice-cream.  It is also just as nice as a slice of cake with a cup of tea or coffee.

Rhubarb and Ginger Trifles are a rhubarb recipe you can make with only two stalks of rhubarb so you can create a delicious creamy dessert that will feed four people. 

More Rhubarb Recipes

Warming Rhubarb Pudding from Fab Food 4 All 

Celebratory Champagne Syllabub with Orange Rhubarb Compote from Tin & Thyme

Roasted Rhubarb Ice Cream from Curly’s Cooking 

For even more rhubarb recipes follow my Rhubarb Pinterest Board 

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Rhubarb and Orange Fool

Janice Pattie

A perfect balance of sweet and sour in this fruity, creamy dessert.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 4

Calories 394 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary units

 

1x2x3x

• 450 g rhubarb
• 1 orange zest and juice
• 100 g caster sugar
• 300 ml double cream
• 1 drop of red food colouring paste optional

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 160C
• Wash the rhubarb and cut into even sized pieces and place in a single layer in a non metal ovenproof dish, add the orange juice and half the zest..
• Roast the rhubarb in the oven for about 10 minutes, until a knife slips easily into a piece of rhubarb, but before the rhubarb starts to disintegrate. Leave to cool.
• Place the remaining strands of orange zest in a small pan and just cover with water. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add a tbsp of sugar and continue to simmer until the liquid becomes syrupy. Remove the sugared orange zest and place on baking parchment to dry.
• Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks.
• Once cold, you can either blend the rhubarb and juice until smooth or push through a non-metallic sieve.
• Fold the rhubarb mixture into the cream, cutting through gently with a metal spoon, add the colouring if using*.
• Serve chilled in individual glass bowls decorated with the sugared strips of zest.

Notes

If you have very red or pink rhubarb you may not need to colour it, however, it can go a sludgy green when cooked and looks nicer if it is a little pink.

A good alternative to food colouring is beetroot powder and approximately 1/2 tsp of beetroot powder will add a nice pink colour to the fool without affecting the flavour. 

Servings depend on size of portion, this recipe will serve six if served in mini ramekins and four if served in sundae glasses.

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 2gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 33mgPotassium: 439mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 1290IUVitamin C: 26.9mgCalcium: 159mgIron: 0.3mg

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