Rhubarb and Custard Trifles with Orange Blossom and Pistachio

Mon, 21 March 2022

Aoife Noonan's Rhubarb and Custard Trifles with Orange Blossom and Pistachio
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Custard:

110ml Milk

110ml Cream

1 Vanilla Pod, seeds scraped

3 Egg Yolks

2tbsp Caster Sugar

For the Rhubarb and Orange Blossom Compote:

4-5 Stalks Rhubarb, roughly chopped

200ml Water

100g Caster Sugar

2tsp Orange Blossom Water

Juice ½ an Orange

To Assemble:

8 Sponge Fingers

100ml Whipped Cream sweetened with 1tbsp Icing Sugar

Chopped Pistachios Edible Flowers

Method:

For the Vanilla Custard:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cream, and vanilla until just simmering.

2. While the cream is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the mix back into the saucepan and cook on a low heat, stirring all the time, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (75C on thermometer, if using).

3. Remove from the heat and allow the custard to cool completely before placing in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.

For the Rhubarb and Orange Blossom Compote:

1. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a simmer.

2. Add the chopped rhubarb, orange blossom water and orange juice and cook on a low-medium heat for about 10 minutes until the rhubarb has softened and broken down completely and the syrup has thickened slightly.

3. Pass the compote through a sieve and retain the juice. Leave the compote and syrup to cool.

To Assemble:

1. Soak two sponge fingers in the rhubarb syrup and arrange at the bottom of a serving glass. Spoon some custard on top, followed by some rhubarb compote.

2. Repeat with another three serving glasses.

3. Garnish with some sweetened whipped cream, chopped pistachios and edible flowers to serve.