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Rhubarb Fool

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 21, 2007

Time

35 minutes, plus 20 minutes soaking, 20 minutes cooling, and 1 hour chilling

Yield

Serves 8

Rhubarb Fool

Ingredients

2 ¼ pounds (1021 grams) fresh rhubarb, trimmed of ends and cut into 6-inch lengths⅓ cup orange juice 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugarPinch table salt 2 cups heavy cream (cold)

Instructions

  1. Soak rhubarb in 1 gallon cold water for 20 minutes. Drain, pat dry with paper towels, and cut rhubarb crosswise into slices 1/2-inch thick.
  2. Bring orange juice, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt to boil in medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rhubarb and return to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring only 2 or 3 times (frequent stirring causes rhubarb to become mushy), until rhubarb begins to break down and is tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer rhubarb to nonreactive bowl, cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  3. Beat cream and remaining sugar in bowl of standing mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 45 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave a trail, about 45 seconds longer. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume and forms soft peaks, about 30 seconds.
  4. To assemble fool, spoon about 1/4 cup rhubarb into each of eight 8-ounce glasses, then spoon in a layer of about 1/4 cup whipped cream. Repeat, ending with dollop of cream; serve. Can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 6 hours. (To make one large fool, double the recipe and layer rhubarb and whipped cream in a 12-cup glass bowl.)

Rhubarb Fool

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Time

35 minutes, plus 20 minutes soaking, 20 minutes cooling, and 1 hour chilling

Yield

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 ¼ pounds (1021 grams) fresh rhubarb, trimmed of ends and cut into 6-inch lengths
⅓ cup orange juice
1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch table salt
2 cups heavy cream (cold)

Ingredients

2 ¼ pounds (1021 grams) fresh rhubarb, trimmed of ends and cut into 6-inch lengths
⅓ cup orange juice
1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch table salt
2 cups heavy cream (cold)

Ingredients

2 ¼ pounds (1021 grams) fresh rhubarb, trimmed of ends and cut into 6-inch lengths
⅓ cup orange juice
1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch table salt
2 cups heavy cream (cold)

Why This Recipe Works

For a rhubarb fool recipe that would tame the sourness of rhubarb and overcome its tendency to cook into a drab, gray mess, we soaked the rhubarb in water to reduce the acid, simmered it in orange juice and sugar to retain texture and color, and layered the cooked fruit with lightly whipped, sweetened cream.

Instructions

  1. Soak rhubarb in 1 gallon cold water for 20 minutes. Drain, pat dry with paper towels, and cut rhubarb crosswise into slices 1/2-inch thick.
  2. Bring orange juice, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt to boil in medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rhubarb and return to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring only 2 or 3 times (frequent stirring causes rhubarb to become mushy), until rhubarb begins to break down and is tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer rhubarb to nonreactive bowl, cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  3. Beat cream and remaining sugar in bowl of standing mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 45 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave a trail, about 45 seconds longer. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume and forms soft peaks, about 30 seconds.
  4. To assemble fool, spoon about 1/4 cup rhubarb into each of eight 8-ounce glasses, then spoon in a layer of about 1/4 cup whipped cream. Repeat, ending with dollop of cream; serve. Can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 6 hours. (To make one large fool, double the recipe and layer rhubarb and whipped cream in a 12-cup glass bowl.)

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