Robert Wemischner

Yield: 4 servings

In spring when rhubarb is at its peak, I like to combine it, in its slightly sweetened and gently cooked form, with a gelee made from caffeine-free South African rooibos (pronounced Roy-boss) otherwise known as red bush or red tea. Although rooibos is called “tea,” strictly speaking this is a misnomer since it is not made from the camellia  sinensis or true tea plant and therefore should be properly called a tisane or infusion. High in vitamin C, mineral salts and proteins, this infusion is based on the leaves of the aspalathus linearis plant and is harvested, cut and dried and sold as an herbal tea in supermarkets and specialty food stores all over the country. With its slightly vanilla flavor notes, the rooibos gelee marries well with the tart personality of the rhubarb, brought together and enriched with a dollop of whipped cream. (If you hanker for tea that has caffeine, go right ahead and substitute your favorite here for the rooibos. An Assam from India or a Keemun from China would work wonderfully here.)Garnish the plate with a wedge of crisp, sandy shortbread of your choice (recipe included here), and you will wind up with an easygoing and unfussy spring dessert.

For the compote:

8 ounces (approximately 2 stalks, depending on length and thickness) of rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 ounces (generous 1/3 cup) granulated sugar

Place the rhubarb and sugar into a heavy saucepan. Add just enough water to coat the bottom of the saucepan so that the rhubarb does not burn before it gives out its juices. Cook on low heat just until slightly tender. Do not overcook or the rhubarb will become a sauce. Remove from the heat once it reaches that just al dente stage. Remove from the saucepan and place in a bowl. Allow to cool and then chill, covered, until ready to assemble the dessert. Now make the rooibos gelee.

For the rooibos gelee:

12 grams of rooibos leaves (loose-leaf or in teabags)

15 ounces good quality water

1 to 1-1/2 ounces granulated sugar

8 grams or 4  2-gram sheets unflavored sheet gelatin, OR 2-1/2 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin

Note:If you are using granulated unflavored gelatin instead of sheet gelatin, use the volume amount  shown above; in this case, place the powdered gelatin into 3 T. cold water into a microwave safe container; stir until the gelatin absorbs the water and then briefly microwave until the mixture is fully liquid and clear and hot; now add this melted gelatin to the hot rooibos infusion as shown below)

Bring the water to the boil. Add the rooibos leaves and the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Allow to steep for 3 minutes. Then pour the liquid through a fine meshed sieve set over a bowl (Note that some of the liquid will be absorbed by the rooibos leaves so you will end up with less liquid than you started with but that’s expected and therefore no problem).  Discard the leaves and keep the infusion hot while you “bloom” the gelatin. Place the gelatin into a bowl of ice water and allow to soak until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove the now softened gelatin from the water, squeeze out excess liquid and add the gelatin to the still hot rooibos infusion. Stir to dissolve and then carefully pour the liquid into 4 molds of your choice. Place into the refrigerator and allow to set, about two hours.

In the meantime, prepare the Buttery Shortbread as follows:

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled

2.67 ounces (1/3 cup) granulated sugar

8 ounces (scant 2 cups) all purpose flour

Pinch salt

Granulated sugar for sprinkling on top of the shortbread before and after baking, as desired

Spray an 8-inch false bottom tart pan with pan release spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Be sure that the oven rack is set halfway up from the bottom of the oven.

In a food processor combine all ingredients (except the granulated sugar used for topping the shortbread) and process by pulsing the machine on and off until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Remove from the processor and, using your outstretched hand, press into the prepared mold. Using a fork or the point of a small knife, dock the dough all around at 1 inch intervals. Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with granulated sugar and place the mold onto a sheet pan and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until light golden brown. When removed from the oven, the shortbread will seem soft to the touch but will firm up as it cools. Therefore, within a few minutes of removing it from the oven, using a small sharp knife, segment the dough into 12 equal pie-shaped wedges. Be careful not to scratch the bottom of the tart pan with the knife. Sprinkle with the remaining granulated sugar, remove from the mold, and store in an airtight container in a single layer at room temperature for no more than 3 or 4 days (as addictive as these shortbread are, trust me, they won’t last that long).

Serving the dessert:

1/2 c. cold heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks, sugared slightly, if desired

When ready to serve the dessert, place the molds into a hot water bath briefly just to loosen them. Invert onto plates, garnish with the cooked rhubarb, a dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream and a cookie such as buttery shortbread (as shown). Serve immediately.