11 April 2012

Rhubarb Creams with Orange Shortbreads...

...another mix of old with new...old recipe for Shortbread (tweaked to become Orange Shortbread) matched to a new recipe for Rhubarb Creams from April's Delicious Magazine...
The recipe serves 6 people, or at least it is meant to!! I divided mine between 4 glasses rather than 6, so we had larger portions...well it was a birthday meal!!
Take some beautiful new season rhubarb (about 400g)...chop into chunks - smallish ones, about 4cm long...and cover with 90g caster sugar...leave to get the juices flowing!! About 10-15 mins should be long enough...
...Then tip into a single layer (scrape all the sugar in there too!!) in a large dish and roast in an oven at Gas 3/160c for about 20 minutes or until nice and soft...
...pour into a blender and whizzzzzz to make a rhubarb puree...I added a bit of pink food colouring gel...just to get a nice pink cream at the end!!
...strain your puree through a sieve, make sure you get every last drop out...I had about 1tsp rhubarb that just wouldn't go through the mesh!!!
...doesn't it look fab! Now leave it to cool all the way to cold!!
To make the cream part you take 500ml double cream and another 90g caster sugar and put them in a high sided pan...stir, and dissolve the sugar over a low, slow heat...bring to the boil slowly still...and once there bubble for 3mins...watch it doesn't bubble over or worse still, burn!
...Take off the heat and add the juice of 2 lemons to it, stir well...it will feel as if it is thickening slightly...then add in the rhubarb puree and stir well again....
...divide between your glasses (4 or 6 is up to you)...cover, and put in the fridge and chill for at least 3 hours...I left mine for about 5 hours...to serve, add some of my orange shortbread...recipe below...
The shortbreads were 'tweaked' from an old recipe that I have had for years and years...I have no idea where the recipe came from, and after looking online earlier, it seems it is a pretty standard recipe at that!! All I did was add the zest of 2 oranges to the basic mix... 
...so take your softened butter (300g) and sugar (140g) - I use golden caster sugar, but white is fine too) and whizzzzz until light and fluffy...
...add the orange zest (2 oranges worth) and whizzzzz again...
...Then add in some sifted flours and a pinch of salt...140g Rice Flour and 300g Plain flour (note how Rice Flour=Sugar and Plain Flour=Butter)...whizzzz once more until it forms a dough...ish...
...Press the mixture into a tin (I use disposable ones from Lakeland...then wash and reuse!!) about 30x20x4cm...smooth as much as you can and cover with cling film before popping in the fridge for about 40 mins to firm up...
...put the oven on Gas 4/160c uncover the shortbread and prick all over with a fork, sprinkle with a bit more caster sugar (optional, but nice!)...
...put in the oven, and cook for about 35-40mins...it will rise slightly and seem soft in the middle, but it should be done...
Leave to cool in the tin for a good 10 mins before cutting into slices...I get 24 from my sized tin...
...Mmmm mmm mmm...the rice flour does the same job that ground rice or semolina would do in a shortbread recipe...it makes them beautifully crumbly and melt in the mouth...
These are ideal for a mid morning snack with a coffee or tea, or even in a lunchbox...
...and they went really well with the tart Rhubarb Creams we had for dessert that day!! the classic combination of rhubarb and orange...how could they not go together!?

2 comments:

  1. Wow that looks really tasty. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...and it was so simple to make...It was a huge hit...all glasses empty...and asking for seconds of the shortbread!

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