Here is the question: Can you fear what you love? I say “yes.” I love cream–but I also fear what it can do to my midline. So I search for alternatives. “Seek and you shall find,” as they say.
While in Paris, I had the most delicious rhubarb dessert. The base was a shortbread cookie, and the rhubarb was topped with creme brulée with a dollop of strawberry ice cream.
In this Rhubarb with Molten Marshmallow, granola serves as a perfect, guilt-free base. The rhubarb is sweetened to a minimal degree. A single marshmallow, singed to perfection, and pinched open to expose the creamy white interior, provides a sweet contrast to the tart rhubarb. Creamless. Fearless.
Rhubarb with Molten Marshmallow
- 1 bunch of rhubarb (1lb, 3oz), leaves trimmed off, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/4 c honey (Add a bit more if you like it sweeter.)
- water to scarcely cover the rhubarb
- 1 c granola (Add more if you want a thicker base)
- 4 marshmallows, singed on a bamboo skewer, slowly rotated for about a minute, 1-inch above a candle flame
- mint leaves as garnish, some top sprigs, some whole leaves, some chiffonade
- 4 raspberries
Cook rhubarb in a medium-small sized pot with honey and water, stirring, until it melts into strands. It only takes about 6 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature.
Place a 3 1/2-inch wide stainless steel mold on a dessert plate. Put 3 tablespoons of granola into the mold. Spoon in 1/4 of the rhubarb and refrigerate until it firms up. When you remove the mold, a pink coloured syrup will slowly ooze into the plate. It adds colour and flavour.
Pinch the marshmallows to spread them out over the top of the molded rhubarb. Garnish with a teaspoon of granola, mint leaves and a single raspberry. Serves 4.
Rhubarb with Molten Marshmallow Print Ready Recipe
Final notes:
- Merci infinement Antoine Westermann, chef of Mon Vieil Ami, Paris. Here is Antoine’s original recipe for la tartelette à la rhubarbe, crème brûlée à la vanille for those of you who do not fear cream.
- Cream of Wheat Canada wants us all to try their newest instant cinnamon swirl flavour. I tried it by mixing it with regular instant cream of wheat to cut the sugar, and adding milk, a grated apple, walnuts, flax, chia and hemp seeds. I prefer the taste and texture of regular cream of wheat.
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Holly – Nicely done. You don’t see too many cooks tackling rhubarb these days. Love your pics and recipe instructions. I’ll not attempt it, but will savor virtually. Btw, I posted a cocktail that used Rabarbaro, a rhubarb-based bitter. So, we can can have our rhubarb and eat it and drink it, too. 🙂
Hey Tom, good to hear from you. Have you gone from food to drink in your Palladian Travels? I figure that rhubarb is big in Paris at the moment so maybe it’s making a comeback? We grew up with my mom’s excellent rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream, of course. Just trying to recreate the magic.
On Fri, Jun 14, 2013 at 6:53 AM, jittery cook
Holly – food and drink go hand-in-hand, just like there in Mount Royal.
Well said!
I just picked some fresh rhubarb from the garden last night – your timing is impeccable! And the marshmellow will be a good sell on my continual quest to convince Elsie that fruit after supper is a dessert…. I might add some quinoa flakes into the granola to sneak some more protein into her..
I know Elsie! I also know who says impeccable. So much for anonymity!
Glad you like the plan!
– just thought this would also be a great special breakfast…maybe for the last day of grade one! – have a nice day!
It would make a wonderful breakfast. You can even serve a Superpower Cookie on the side.
http://jitterycook.com/2013/05/20/super-power-cookie-wholesome/
Cream- less, fearless, peerless!
A culinary flight of inspiration.
Bien joué!
I like the peerless!
Oooo. I like this. I love rhubarb an this is an impressive presentation!
Nothing like a little Parisian inspiration! Thanks.
Wow
I know!!!
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but
after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr…
well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say superb blog!
Wow!! Nice to know there are other rhubarb lovers out there. What an original recipe. What a lovely photograph! What a beautiful presentation!
I will try this, perhaps omitting the granola crust. Although the crunch factor will be lost :-(.
Any ideas for a replacement? I’m not a granola fan.
Thanks for sharing, looks yum!