There's No Fool Like an April Fool... Unless it's a Rhubarb Fool

There is no better time for "foolin" around in the kitchen than April Fools Day.  Especially when one is foolin around with a Rhubarb Fool.  Granted the traditional Fool is made with gooseberries, but they aren't available yet.  Thus, I have turned to my favorite vegetable instead. (Yes, Rhubarb is a vegetable, not a fruit)

Fool, is an extremely simple British dessert of cream and fruit.  It's similar to the French parfait (perfect), though a parfait contains equal amounts of whipped cream and beaten egg whites which are them spooned on top of, or layered with, stewed fruit or chocolate.  That is, unless you ordered a Peanut Buster Parfait from the Dairy Queen, in which you are consuming Chocolate Syrup, Peanuts, Ice Cream and Whipped cream all layered together. (yeah, not really a parfait, but I guess they thought the name was cool)

A Fool, on the other hand, is simply stewed fruit folded loosely into Whipped Cream.  I say "loosely folded" because you don't want everything completely dispersed.  Streaks are encouraged in this case.  In fact, the more streaky, the better.  It lends visual appeal to the dessert.

But enough jabber, lets get to foolin around with the Fool.

Rhubarb Fool

1 pound (454 g) Frozen Rhubarb cut into ~ 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup (75 ml) Orange Blossom Honey
a Pinch or 2 of Cinnamon
Zest and Juice of one Orange, Tangerine or Mineola (tangelo)
1 TB Gran Marnier
1 cup (235 ml) Heavy Cream
4 TB Crème Fraîche or 4 TB of Heavy Cream
2 TB Confectioners' Sugar

So take 1 lb of gloriously red Rhubarb,

Cut into 1 inch pieces a place it in a medium saucepan over medium flame.

Add the Zest of an Orange, Tangerine or Mineola (tangelo) as well as the juice.

Then drizzle the Orange Blossom Honey all over it.

Then sprinkle with just a touch of cinnamon (about 1/16th of a tsp)

Bring to a simmer, then reduce the flame to medium-low.

After about 15 -20 minutes, you should have a nice salmon pink mass of deliciousness with all the chunks completely broken down.

Remove from the flame and pour into a bowl, letting the sauce cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, stir in the Gran Marnier.

Then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

At this point, you may forgo the "fool" and simply pour this "stewed" fruit over your ice cream, but it would be foolish to fool around with a potentially great Fool, so keep going....

In a chilled medium bowl, combine Heavy Cream, Crème Fraîche and Confectioners' Sugar.

Whisk until just past soft peaks form - I call it firm peaks (as opposed to stiff, fully beaten cream)

Remove the rhubarb sauce from the refrigerator and fold it into the cream in 2 additions. (Don't worry about streaks)

Spoon carefully into some fancy tulip glasses or cocktail glasses.

Cover each one with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Serve with a garnish of your choice. (I think mint is over done sometimes, so I use cleaned fern tops)

Mangia!!
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