There are so many great things about Spring. Warmer weather, beautiful flowers, seeing the sun nearly every day, and of course, the fresh produce. Of the many items I begin scouring the local markets for is fresh rhubarb. Being from the Midwest, I grew up simply expecting desserts with rhubarb at Easter. When I moved to other locales, Texas in particular, I found that rhubarb wasn’t as common an ingredient. I was aghast! I mean, with no fresh rhubarb, where was the strawberry rhubarb tart? The rhubarb custard pie? Oh, the humanity!
Luckily, rhubarb is easier to find now, and I don’t just mean the bags of frozen rhubarb at the grocery store (which works in a pinch, don’t get me wrong!). Fresh rhubarb is so vibrant with the deep red, almost crimson celery-looking stalks. It is very tart, and can be a bit stringy (again, think of the fibrous nature of celery), but when treated with care–and a little sugar and acid–you will crave it like I do, too. Marry it with some fresh strawberries and you’ll realize immediately why it’s a match made in heaven. The tartness of the rhubarb just screams screams for the sweetness of the strawberries.
Still not convinced? Then think about it outside of the regular uses in desserts. It’s super versatile, and is great in savory applications as well. I see it on menus used in sauces for wild game and other rich meats. So many options, so little time in the growing season!
With Easter now past, I can enjoy the leftovers of the day with a side of this delicious, pretty, and oh-so-simple Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle. Pass the rhubarb!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 10 people | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 30 minutes | 30 minutes |
|
|
|
|
When you say "trifle", it just sounds fancy. Only you need to know how darned simple it is to assemble. It's basically a bunch of tasty ingredients layered into a clear, pretty dish so that people can "ooh" and "ahh" over your genius. This would be perfect for Mother's Day brunch, Easter dessert, a Summer party, or any old weekday that you happen to get your hands on fresh berries and rhubarb.
|
- 4 stalks fresh rhubarb, sliced (or one 12 oz. bag of frozen rhubarb)
- 1 16 oz. container fresh strawberries, sliced length-wise
- 1 8 oz. container mascarpone cheese
- 1 9 oz. jar strawberry rhubarb conserves (or strawberry preserves)
- 1/2 large lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 - 12 oz. container fresh strawberries, sliced length-wise
- 1 loaf angel food cake, cubed
- 1 pint whipping cream (or prepared whipped cream)
- Slice rhubarb into 1" slices. Place in bowl with lemon and sugar. Toss well, and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature until rhubarb begins to release liquid. This is called macerating, which in this case allows the fibers in the rhubarb to break down and make it easier to eat.
- Place rhubarb in small sauce pan with any juices from the bowl. Simmer over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb breaks down and becomes soft, about 30 minutes. Allow rhubarb mixture to cool completely prior to combining with other ingredients.
- Mix Mascarpone cheese and strawberry rhubarb conserves (or strawberry preserves, if using instead). Be sure that the mixture has the two ingredients fully incorporated to make sure you get a creamy bite in each taste. Allow to remain at room temperature prior to adding to trifle dish.
- Cut up angel food cake into 1" cubes. Place 1/3 of the cubes in single layer at bottom of trifle dish.
- Slice strawberries into 1/4 " slices, lengthwise, and place against the side of the trifle dish.
- Begin to layer sliced strawberries onto angel food cake cubes in dish.
- Add layer of 1/2 of the cooked rhubarb on the strawberries.
- Add layer of 1/2 of the Mascarpone mixture over the berries and rhurbarb layers.
- Continue adding sliced strawberries along side of dish to create lattice of sliced strawberries around the edge of the dish. Continue layering angel food cake cubes, strawberries, rhubarb mixture and Mascarpone mixture until complete.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow trifle to set up. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream on top of the trifle. Serve it up and enjoy!
This simple dessert can be switched up with just about any mixture of berries or fruit you can come up with. Try it with fresh blackberries and whipped cream cheese. Or raspberries with lemon zest and lemon curd. Make this Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle your "go to" dessert this Spring! Who knows? Maybe you'll become known among your friends as the "trifle chef"--not a bad thing to be known for!
Never had a trifle bowl? No worries! They are fairly easy to find, and can be used for savory dishes, appetizers, salads, or even a centerpiece. Fill the dish with fresh lemons or oranges for a summery look. Or with holiday ornaments for a dash of sparkle on your table. Need a good one? I like this one from Anchor Hocking. Inexpensive, sturdy, and admittedly from Ohio--just like me. A great item to have on hand if you don't have one in your pantry already!
Don't think I've forgotten about all of the other fantastic and enticing Spring produce out there right now. I've got plans later this week for that unusual white asparagus you may see out there in a Spargelsuppe (White Asparagus Soup), and more citrus in some Lemon Rosemary Tea Cookies. Stay tuned!
I gre up always eating rhubarb in the spring as well, and here in California it is not nearly as popular, but I love it when I can find it
I’ve never been a big fan of rhubarb but I think I could get behind this strawberry rhubarb trifle! Looks delicious and definitely a beautiful spring recipe!
Pairing it with strawberries is the key (IMHO) for countering the slightly bitter nature of the rhubarb. De-lish. :o)
Wonderful looking dessert, and very helpful tutorial on how to assemble the layers.
Thanks! I think step-by-step suggestions are helpful when I’m checking out new recipes, so I like to do the same here. :o)
Any dessert that uses fresh strawberries is worth a try in my book! Everyone in my house loves strawberries!
If you love strawberries, wait until you taste them with rhubarb. Ah-mazing. :o)
Give me all the strawberry and rhubarb!
I may be on the hunt today for some fresh stuff!
Mostly I made my trifle in personal serving. Give a spoon please… I want to dig into this colorful trifle! YUM!
I havent seen it in a trifle before! 🙂 how neat! Rhubarb grows in different seasons too as you move around I found… 🙂
I’m always looking for more rhubarb rescipes and this looks wonderful. I’ve got a huge rhubarb plant in my garden and it grows so fast I can’t keep up with it. 🙂
This looks wonderful! I would be bummed at living somewhere without rhubarb too. Annoyingly (as a food blogger anyway) local rhubarb is prevalent here–but not red. It is pale green, which cooks into nothing really visually speaking. Such a bummer from a photography standpoint! But I would still rather be able to eat it locally. 🙂
I actually have rhubarb in my fridge right now! Was wondering what to do with it and now I know! Love the cheese ingredient too!
Very colourful dessert and the pictures are quite captivating as well.
I love the way you detailed the preparation steps and hopefully, I should give it a try.
Blessing, you should definitely give it a try. Rhubarb is simply one of my favorite ingredients for desserts–or anything, really! :o)
Dee Dee, this looks fantastic! And easy too. I haven’t made a trifle in EONS. It’s a dessert that deserves remembering. Plus the Northwest is Rhubarb Country. 🙂
I love rhubarb and get so excited when I see it!!! So many possibilities. Yum!