Rhubarb Fool Recipe

Name: Rhubarb Fool
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 138 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: For the rhubarb sauce:; 1/2 cup sugar, or more, to taste; 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest; 2 tablespoons orange juice; 1 pound rhubarb stalks, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths (to make about 4 cups); 1/2 teaspoon rosewater , optional; For the whipped cream:; 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream; 1/4 cup sour cream, stirred

Trending Videos

What Is Rhubarb?

FEATURED IN:

There’s no fool like a rhubarb fool, and now is the time for it. The arrival of rhubarb in the market always cheers me. Spring is here!

This British dessert goes way back — we’re talking about a few hundred years — and it was originally made with custard and pureed fruits, most notably gooseberries.

I've lightened it up with whipped cream instead of the custard and swapped the gooseberries for seasonal rhubarb. It's an easy-peasy dessert for a weeknight dinner or a spring party!

Rhubarb Fool Recipe shown in serving glasses — Sally Vargas

I like to add a little sour cream to the whipped cream in my fools — it gives the dessert some tang and also helps stabilize the cream to keep it from weeping.

Cream always whips better in a chilled bowl, but if you forget to chill it, just swirl some ice cubes and cold water in a metal bowl and then dry thoroughly before whipping the cream.

Too often rhubarb’s bright pink washes out in a profusion of juice and turns a disappointing gingery brown in the cooking process, but I think I finally solved that problem.

To preserve its rosy color, cook the rhubarb very briefly in a wide pan to facilitate evaporation, and immediately transfer it to a bowl to finish cooking off the heat.

Rosewater, available in Middle Eastern and Indian grocery stores and online, adds a romantic touch. But it's fine to skip it if you don't have any in your kitchen or have trouble finding it.

Rhubarb Fool

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 8 mins

Chilling 2 hrs

Total Time 2 hrs 18 mins

Servings 4 servings

Look for bright magenta-red stalks of rhubarb for this recipe and avoid thin, green ones, which are often more tart.

Shop for rosewater at Middle Eastern and Indian grocery stores, or online.

For the rhubarb sauce:

1/2 cup sugar, or more, to taste
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 pound rhubarb stalks, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths (to make about 4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon rosewater, optional

For the whipped cream:

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream, stirred

Cook the rhubarb:

Place a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl on the counter next to the stove. In a wide, deep skillet over medium heat, stir together the sugar, orange zest and orange juice. Stir constantly until the mixture liquefies and begins to boil. (It's fine if not all the sugar is dissolved at this point.)

Raise the heat to high and add the rhubarb. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rhubarb juices start to flow, the liquid comes to a boil, and the sugar dissolves completely.

Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring often, for an additional 4 to 6 minutes, or until the rhubarb starts to fall apart, but about one-third of the chunks remain intact. Taste and add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, if you like.

Sally Vargas

Sally Vargas

Sally Vargas

Sally Vargas
Cool the rhubarb:

Immediately pour the rhubarb puree into the heatproof bowl and stir in the rosewater, if using. Cool to room temperature; the rhubarb will continue to soften as it sits.

Sally Vargas
Refrigerate the rhubarb for 2 to 3 hours, or until completely chilled:

This rhubarb mixture can also be prepared several days in advance and kept refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months. (Thaw in the fridge overnight, if frozen.)
Whip the cream:

In a chilled bowl, whip the cream with an hand mixer or stand mixer until it forms soft peaks but is slightly under-whipped. Whisk in the sour cream just until combined (the cream should still form soft peaks).

Sally Vargas
Assemble the fool:

Add the whipped cream to the bowl of rhubarb. With a rubber spatula, swirl the cream and rhubarb together so that the mixture has streaks of rhubarb, but is not fully mixed. Spoon the fool into tall dessert dishes or wine glasses, and chill until ready to serve.

The fool is best eaten on the day it is made, but leftovers will keep, covered, for a few days.

Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

Sally Vargas

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
306	Calories
19g	Fat
33g	Carbs
3g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	306
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g	25%
Saturated Fat 12g	59%
Cholesterol 59mg	20%
Sodium 21mg	1%
Total Carbohydrate 33g	12%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 15mg	77%
Calcium 145mg	11%
Iron 0mg	2%
Potassium 406mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.