A truly delicious layered slice with a sable biscuit base topped with a little fresh rhubarb puree, vanilla bavarois cream and tangy rhubarb jelly all finished with mascarpone cream and rhubarb crisps.
Makes approx 16 slices
FOR THE SABLE BISCUIT
200gm Plain flour
100gm Icing sugar
150gm Unsalted butter, cubed
2 Large egg yolks
Pinch salt
FOR THE BAVAROIS CREAM
5 Large egg yolks
45gm Caster sugar
¾ Pt (425mls) Milk
7 Sheets gelatine
1 Teasp Vanilla extract
450ml Double cream
FOR THE RHUBARB JELLY
AND PUREE
750gm Fresh rhubarb
140gm Caster sugar
400ml Water
Juice of 1 orange
Gelatine leaves.
A little red colouring
FOR THE MASCARPONE CREAM
125gm Mascarpone (full fat)
125ml Whipping cream
25gm Caster sugar
½ Teasp Vanilla extract
FOR THE RHUBARB CRISPS
20 slivers of rhubarb approx 3-4 inches long
100gm Caster sugar
100mls Water
A little red food colouring
METHOD
Very lightly oil a 10” x 8” (25 x 20cm) loose bottom traybake tin and set the oven to 170°C Fan.
Make the sable biscuit – Mix together in a processor or by hand, the flour, icing sugar and butter until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the salt and egg yolks, mix to a soft dough.
On a lightly floured board roll out the dough to 11” by 9” (28cm x 23cm) and about ¼ inch (6 ml) thick and bake on a normal baking tray for 16 to 18 minutes until just turning golden.
Remove from the tray carefully and place on a wire rack to cool.
When cold take the base of the traybake tin out and lay it gently on to the biscuit. Carefully cut around it with a serrated knife. Replace the traybake base back into the tin with the biscuit on top.
Take a straight rhubarb stick and using a vegetable peeler shave off some thin slices, cut into the length required.
Bring the water and sugar to a simmer for about 5 minutes then turn off the heat and add the rhubarb strips along with some red colouring. Leave until cold.
Remove the strips and flatten out gently. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment and bake at 90°C Fan until dried out and crisp. Store in an airtight container.
Cut the remaining rhubarb into small chunks and place in a pan along with the sugar, water and orange juice.
Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the fruit is very tender.
Strain the rhubarb through a sieve lined with muslin until the last drop of syrup has dripped through.
Measure the liquid you have from the rhubarb and assess how many gelatine sheets you will need. I got about 1¼ pints (712mls) and used 6 sheets
Soften the gelatine sheets in a little water for about 15 minutes.
Warm the syrup in a pan, squeeze the water out of the gelatine sheets and add to the syrup stirring until dissolved. Add red colouring to a soft red tinge, be careful not to put in too much!
Leave the jelly to cool but NOT in the fridge at this stage.
Take the fruit from the muslin and puree in a processor or push through a fine sieve - spread a thin layer of the puree across the biscuit base.
Make the bavarois cream – put the gelatine sheets in a little water to soften.
Place the milk and vanilla extract in a pan on the heat to gently warm.
Meanwhile whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy.
Pour the warmed milk on to the egg mix and return to the pan over a medium heat.
Stir until the custard begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon, do NOT boil or it will curdle. Squeeze the water out of the gelatine sheets and add them to the custard, stirring until dissolved and place in the fridge to cool.
When the custard is JUST beginning to set (slightly thickened) whip the cream very lightly and fold into the custard making sure it is evenly combined. If you over set the custard or over whip the cream the two will not combine and you will have a lumpy bavarois which is difficult to spread in the tin and not so good to eat!
Pour the bavarois cream over the puree in the tin. Leave to set in the fridge; this will only take about 45 - 60 minutes.
While the bavarois is setting check the jelly, it should just be at setting point. If it isn’t, cool off in the fridge...if it has set too much, slightly warm and then cool again.
When you have the right thickness pour over your bavarois cream. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
To make the mascarpone cream – cream together the mascarpone and sugar along with the vanilla.
Add the cream little at a time whisking in until a good piping consistency is reached. Do NOT over whip as the cream will break down. If this should happen add more cream and gently stir in.
To finish – run a hot knife carefully around the edge of your tin to loosen the mix and then remove from the tin on to a hard surface.
Using a HOT knife (but not wet) cut into VERY even slices. I used the width of a ruler all the way across as cut marks and then cut in half across.
Pipe 3 small whirls of cream on each slice and finish by placing a rhubarb crisp across at an angle. Serve any spare cream separately.
N. B. I also placed a little red colour into the rhubarb puree. Cooked rhubarb can look a little ‘muddy’ in colour. ENJOY!!
