Serves 6

Ingredients

400g / 14oz fresh forced rhubarb, cut into 4cm lengths

Small knob of butter

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

75g / 3oz golden caster sugar

½ jar good-quality lemon curd

250g tub mascarpone

4 stem ginger biscuits, crushed or 4 wedges of ginger shortbread – below

Icing sugar, for dusting

Method 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Scatter the rhubarb in 1 layer on a baking tray. Dot with the butter, drizzle with the orange juice, sprinkle over the sugar and zest and roast for 10-15 minutes, until just tender. Set aside until cool.

Divide between 6 glasses or dishes. In a small bowl, roughly stir the lemon curd into the mascarpone with a kitchen knife to form a ripple effect and pipe on top of the rhubarb. Scatter over the biscuit crumbs and serve dusted with icing sugar.

 

To get ahead: The rhubarb can be cooked up to a day ahead but the rest of the dessert is best assembled when required.

 

Ginger Shortbread

 

Makes 18 biscuits

Ingredients

100g/4oz softened butter, plus extra for greasing

50g/2oz golden caster sugar

100g/4oz plain flour

50g/2oz cornflour

1 level tsp ground ginger

3 balls of stem ginger, chopped into tiny pieces

Demerara sugar for sprinkling

 

Method

Preheat oven to 180C/106C fan/gas 4. Butter a shallow 18cm/7” square tin (or 20cm/8” circular sponge tin). Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients except the Demerara sugar and bring together with your hands to form a dough. Tip into the prepared tin and press with back of a spoon to even out. Prick all over with a fork and sprinkle with a little Demerara sugar. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, until pale golden-brown and firm. While still warm cut into 18 triangles.

 

To get ahead: Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

 

To freeze: Can be frozen for up to 1 month.