Rhubarb with cheesecake mousse and caramelised hazelnuts
Rhubarb is presented two ways in this pretty seasonal dessert – poached batons sit aside cubes of rhubarb jelly made from the poaching liquor. The scoop of cheesecake mousse is made with aquafaba (the liquid from tinned chickpeas) instead of egg white, and the crunchy caramelised hazelnuts bring a welcome crunch to the equation.
Ingredients
Poached rhubarb and rhubarb jelly
- 200g of honey
- 2 tbsp of grenadine
- 8 sticks of rhubarb , trimmed and cut into 2cm lengths
- 3 gelatine leaves
Caramelised hazelnuts
- 40g of hazelnuts , toasted and roughly chopped
- 20g of honey
- 1/4 tsp table salt
Cheesecake mousse
- 120g of aquafaba, (the liquid from a tin of chickpeas)
- 80g of caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 300g of cream cheese
- 1 lemon , zested and juiced
Garnish
- basil leaves , small
Equipment
- Electric hand whisk
Method
1
To cook the rhubarb, put the honey and grenadine in a large saucepan. Top up with 300ml water and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Place the rhubarb pieces in the hot liquid and simmer for 1 minute, then remove the pan from the heat and allow the rhubarb to continue to cook in the liquid for 10 minutes as it cools
2
Carefully transfer the rhubarb from the liquid into a bowl using a slotted spoon and chill. Measure out 300ml of the cooking liquor, place it in a medium saucepan and set aside. The remaining liquid makes a great drink – just add to soda water or use in a cocktail!
3
To make the jelly, soak the 3 gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Heat the 300ml of rhubarb cooking liquor until it just reaches boiling point, then remove the pan from the heat. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine leaves and stir them into the hot liquid until completely dissolved. Strain the liquid into a clean container so that it is at least 1cm deep, then chill until set (roughly 2 hours)
- 3 gelatine leaves
4
For the hazelnuts, place the honey into a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the hazelnuts and salt and cook until the honey is almost starting to burn. Spoon out onto a greased or baking paper-lined tray and allow to cool
- 20g of honey
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 40g of hazelnuts , toasted and roughly chopped
5
To make the mousse, whisk the aquafaba in a bowl with an electric whisk (or using a stand mixer) until stiff. Add the caster sugar, gradually, then continue whisking for up to 10 minutes until glossy and thick. Add the xanthan gum and whisk for a further 3 minutes on high speed
- 120g of aquafaba, (the liquid from a tin of chickpeas)
- 80g of caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
6
Mix the lemon zest and juice with the cream cheese then fold into the aquafaba meringue
- 1 lemon , zested and juiced
- 300g of cream cheese
7
To serve, divide the rhubarb into 4 bowls. Dice the jelly into 1cm cubes and scatter over the top. Spoon over the cheesecake mousse and sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Garnish with the basil leaves
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Rhubarb with cheesecake mousse and caramelised hazelnuts
