Rhubarb and custard recipe (2024)

  • Place 4 glasses or glass serving dishes in the fridge to chill well. Preheat the oven to 100C/80C Fan/Gas ¼.

  • For the dried rhubarb crisp, using a sharp vegetable peeler, carefully shave the rhubarb lengthways until you have at least 6 pieces, then put these in a small bowl. Chop the remaining rhubarb into 1cm/½in pieces and set aside.

  • In a small saucepan over a high heat, bring 100ml/3½fl oz water, the sugar and grenadine syrup to a gentle simmer. Add the shaved rhubarb slices, then turn off the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

  • Drain the slices of rhubarb, reserving the syrup, and place on a baking tray lined with a silicone mat. Place in the oven for 25 minutes to dry out, then store in an airtight container until needed. Increase the oven temperature to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1.

  • To macerate the rhubarb, in a large bowl mix the rhubarb (including the reserved chopped rhubarb) and sugar with 100ml/3½fl oz of the reserved rhubarb syrup and leave to macerate for 30 minutes. Transfer to a shallow oven tray and cover tightly with cling film to create a seal. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. Once cooked, transfer to the fridge to cool in its own syrupy juice before straining this off and reserving it. Finely chop half of the cooked rhubarb (about 180g/6oz), leaving the rest as it is, and set aside in 2 separate bowls.

  • Measure 200ml/7fl oz of the reserved syrupy juice to make the jelly.

  • For the jelly, in a small saucepan over a low heat, infuse the ginger and softened gelatine in the reserved juice for 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve the gelatine. Strain, reserving 80ml/2¾oz for building the trifle. Pour the remainder into a small bowl, cover and chill in the fridge.

  • Start to build your trifle before you make the custard. Place 40g/1½oz of the finely chopped cooked rhubarb in the bottom of each chilled glass. Top with 50g/1¾oz of the larger pieces of cooked rhubarb. Add 4 teaspoons of the reserved jelly liquid into each glass and place in the bottom of your fridge for 15 minutes, until the jelly has just set.

  • For the custard, in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, bring the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla purée to the boil. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks.

  • Once the cream mixture comes to the boil, pour it over the egg yolks and whisk until evenly distributed. Pour this mixture back into the pan and bring it to 75C on a sugar thermometer, stirring all the time. Take off the heat and place the pan in a bowl of ice-cold water. Using a hand-held blender, blitz in the softened gelatine and continue to blend until the custard is cool. (By whisking as it cools you will add a third more volume thanks to the air that is incorporated.)

  • It is important that the custard sets in the glass you are going to serve it in or you will lose all the air bubbles and ultimately the lightness of the dessert. So, take each of the desserts from the fridge, top with custard, cover and return to the fridge to set for at least 3 hours, or overnight if you have the time.

  • Meanwhile, prepare the honeycomb. Line a 20x25x3cm/16x18x1in baking tray with a silicone mat. Put 40m/1½fl oz water, and the honey, glucose and sugar in a deep, medium-sized saucepan and leave for a minute. Place the pan on a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce to a medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, until you have a light golden-brown caramel.

  • Take off the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. (CAUTION: There will be a huge amount of frothing and bubbling and it will increase in volume by about 5 times. This is caused by the bicarbonate of soda reacting with the heat of the sugar, which produces the bubbles that will eventually create a crunchy honeycomb. Beware – it is a very pretty spectacle but children shouldn’t be allowed close.) Once the frothing has stopped, stir well to ensure that the bicarbonate of soda is well mixed, then carefully pour it into the lined tray. Allow to cool before turning out and breaking into pieces. Store in an airtight container until needed.

  • To serve, top each dessert with some broken honeycomb, small spoonfuls of the reserved jelly, one of the rhubarb crisps and the angelica, if using, which will add a little more magic to this dish.

  • Rhubarb and custard recipe (2024)

    FAQs

    What are the ingredients in rhubarb and custard sweets? ›

    Rhubarb & Custard
    • Description. Ingredients: Sugar, glucose syrup, flavouring (citric acid E330, natural flavouring with other flavourings), colour (anthocyanin E163, curcumin, E100) ...
    • Delivery. £4.85 Royal Mail 2nd Class Signed.
    • Wholesale Delivery. All orders below £200.00 will have a carriage charge of £16.43 + VAT applied.

    How do you bake custards in a water bath keep the custard from curdling? ›

    Baked custards, though, are very different: set in a low oven and coddled in a protective water bath, the custard thickens smoothly and evenly and the risk of splitting subsides.

    At what temperature will a baked custard with no starch present curdle? ›

    Custards without starch typically thicken between 170°F and 175°F, well below the boiling point. (Usually I try to cook my custard to a temperature to 170 – 175°F knowing that it should increase by a few degrees once I take it off the heat/oven. If it reaches 185 F (85 C), it will begin to curdle.

    What are the 3 types of custard and their ingredients? ›

    All the Major Stirred Custard Variations (and there are a lot of them)
    • mousse = base + whipped cream/meringue + stabilizer.
    • bavarian/ bavarois/ crème bavaroise = creme anglaise + gelatin + whipped cream.
    • blancmange = milk/cream + gelatin.
    • crème anglaise = milk/cream + egg yolks.
    Jul 20, 2021

    What are the 4 components of custard? ›

    Combine milk, eggs, sugar and gentle heat and one of our most treasured comfort food appears.

    What are the mistakes when making custard? ›

    The most common mistake people make in baking a custard is not putting enough water in the hot-water bath. The water should come up to the level of the custard inside the cups. You must protect your custard from the heat.

    What happens if you don't cook custard in a water bath? ›

    The hot water evenly distributes heat around the custard, ensuring that the eggs don't curdle. It also prevents the top from drying out and splitting before the inside is fully cooked. Without a bain marie, you'll have a rubbery and cracked dessert.

    What are 2 ways your custard is thickened from your recipe? ›

    Mix flour and cold water well, making sure the mixture is smooth. For 1 cup (240 mL) of custard, use 2 tablespoons (17 g) of flour mixed with 4 tablespoons (59 mL) of cold water. Add the mixture into your custard ingredients as they cook on the stove. Use cornstarch as an alternative to flour.

    How do you know when baked custard is done? ›

    When is it done? Baked custard should be removed from the oven (and water bath) before the center is completely set. The center will jiggle slightly when dish or cup is gently shaken. Custard will continue to “cook” after it's removed and center will firm up quickly.

    How do I know if my custard is done? ›

    Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Stirring distributes the heat so the custard doesn't become too hot, which can curdle it. Draw a finger across the back of the spoon and if it leaves a trail, your custard is ready.

    How do you determine when a baked custard is properly baked? ›

    The custard may still jiggle slightly, but the top should no longer be liquid. It should feel firm (spongy but set) when lightly touched; and when a toothpick or skewer is inserted down into the custard at the edge of the cup, it should come out clean. Otherwise, keep baking and checking.

    Do rhubarb and custard sweets have milk? ›

    May contain traces of milk and soya.

    Sugar, glucose syrup, acid: citric acid; flavouring, colours: E104, E129. Warning: E104 and E129 may have an adverse effect on the activity and attention in children.

    What was custard made of? ›

    Custard is a decadent dessert made with eggs, milk, and sugar. Eggs are responsible for custard's thick and velvety texture, but some recipes (such as this one) call for thickeners such as cornstarch or arrowroot for extra richess.

    Are rhubarb and custard sweets dairy free? ›

    Free From Fellows Rhubarb & Custards are tasty vegan sweets that are made with a delicious twist – they are made without sugar, gluten, gelatine and dairy!

    What Flavour is rhubarb and custard? ›

    Just like the classic boiled sweet, but better! The combination of tart rhubarb and the creaminess of vanilla speckled sunny custard is an iconic British flavour.

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