Pomegranate-poached rhubarb with spiced biscuits

Here, Anjum Anand shares her beautiful rhubarb recipe.

Rhubarb works really well with pomegranate and tangerine and the spices here add a lovely warmth. The simple biscuits are crunchy, buttery and so moreish that the recipe makes more than you need, so you can munch on them for days after the dessert is a sweet memory… and they can be made a few days in advance.

Ingredients

For the spiced biscuits (makes 12 to 14)

• 120 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 80 g light muscovado or soft brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Good pinch of salt
• 120 g plain flour
• 60 g cornflour
• For the fruit
• 500 ml pomegranate juice
• Juice and finely grated zest of 2 tangerines or clementines
• 20 g cinnamon sticks or shards of cassia bark
• 100 g caster sugar
• 450 g early pink rhubarb, cut into 7.5cm batons
• Thick Greek yogurt or crème fraîche, to serve
• Chopped pistachios, to serve (optional)

Method

First make the biscuits: preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the spices and salt and sift in the flours. Gently mix together but do not overwork. Still working gently, make roughly walnut-sized balls of dough.

Flatten each gently until about 3 to 4 centimetres thick and carefully place on the baking tray, spaced well apart as they will spread.

Bake in the hot oven for 22 to 24 minutes, or until turning golden at the edges.
Remove and cool on the baking tray, then transfer to a wire rack with a palette knife. Be careful, as they are quite fragile. When completely cold, store in an airtight tin; they will be fine for up to a week.

Now for the fruit: place the two juices, the zest, cinnamon or cassia and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for five minutes, then add the rhubarb and simmer for another five to seven minutes, depending on thickness. The outer bits will start to look soft (they will continue to cook). Remove the rhubarb from the liquor with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Reduce the juices for another four or five minutes, or until very lightly syrupy.

Serve the rhubarb with some of the juices spooned over and a sprinkling of pistachios (if using). Add a dollop of thick Greek yogurt or crème fraîche and a couple of biscuits.