Rhubarb Fool with Whipped Cream & Gingersnaps Recipe

There are several recipes that evoke strong memories for my husband. They are ones that his mum made in his childhood and prepares whenever we visit. From The Family Crockpot Applesauce to his grandmother's molasses cake, the recipes are not fancy, but they are full of flavor and made with a great deal of care.

One can not mention my husband's favorite foods without including rhubarb. This tart vegetable, often treated as a fruit, is intricately woven through his memories of long-ago visits to his grandparents' farm in northern New York. Every meal included a bowl of freshly-made spiced rhubarb compote.

His grandparents diligently maintained their orchards full of apple and cherry trees, but it was the rhubarb patch that produced the bowl of compote that was served each night with dinner. To this day, my husband will choose rhubarb pie when presented with an array of dessert choices. Not strawberry-rhubarb pie, mind you. Just rhubarb. The man is a purist.

A fool is a classic English dessert, made of pureed fruit and whipped cream. I strayed slightly from the traditional by adding in a layer of crushed gingersnap cookies. After my success in pairing rhubarb with gingersnaps in my Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust, I knew that the spicy sweetness of the cookies would be a perfect foil for the slightly tart rhubarb compote and whipped cream.

If you wish, prepare the rhubarb compote up to two days ahead. If you have company for dinner, whip the cream and crush the gingersnap cookies earlier in the day and layer the dessert just before serving. With only five ingredients, this dish makes an impressive presentation with very little effort.

The recipe:

The rhubarb compote:

In a medium saucepan, stir together chopped rhubarb pieces and sugar. Let rest for 15 minutes to allow the rhubarb to release some juices.

Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the rhubarb to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is very tender, about 12 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow rhubarb to cool. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the compote to thicken.

The rest:

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl, using a hand mixer), beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff.

Using 6 ounce glasses, alternate the compote, whipped cream and crushed gingersnaps in layers, ending with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of gingersnap crumbs. Serve.

Other rhubarb desserts:

Cookin' Canuck's Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust
Cookin' Canuck's Cornmeal, Rosemary & Lemon Cake with Rhubarb & Strawberry Sauce
Honey & Jam's Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Bundt Cake
White on Rice Couple's Rhubarb Strawberry Crumb Bars
Two Peas and Their Pod's Rhubarb Apple Bread

Rhubarb Fool with Whipped Cream & Gingersnaps

The compote:
4 cups (about 4 large stalks) chopped rhubarb (about ½-inch pieces)
⅓ cup granulated sugar

The rest:
1 ½ cups whipping cream
3 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 cup crushed gingersnap cookies (about 16 cookies)

The compote:
In a medium saucepan, stir together chopped rhubarb pieces and sugar. Let rest for 15 minutes to allow the rhubarb to release some juices.

Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the rhubarb to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is very tender, about 12 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow rhubarb to cool. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the compote to thicken.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl, using a hand mixer), beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff.

Using 6 ounce glasses, alternate the compote, whipped cream and crushed gingersnaps in layers, ending with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of gingersnap crumbs. Serve.

Serves 4.

Printable recipe