Joff and Jules Sloemotion

Rhubarb and Sloemotion Sloe Gin Mess 

DessertServes 4

In homage to their late mum Barbara this Mothers Day, brothers Joff and Jules Curtoys who run Barton-le-Willows based Sloemotion near Malton have created this recipe for Rhubarb and Sloe Gin Mess which combines their love of their mother’s homemade puddings with their award winning Sloemotion Sloe Gin.

Ingredients

For the meringues:

250g Caster Sugar

4 Egg Whites

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp Flaked Almonds

For the rhubarb:

400g Rhubarb

6 tbsp Sloemotion Sloe Gin

1 tbsp Caster Sugar

300ml Double Cream

Method

  1. Set the oven at 140C/gas mark 1.
  2. If you can, warm the sugar briefly, then put the egg whites and salt into a bowl and whisk at a moderately high speed until it forms soft peaks. Beat in half the sugar in small amounts until glossy and thick, then fold in the remaining sugar in one go. Beat just briefly then stop the machine. You should have a thick, upright-standing meringue; stiff enough that you can turn the bowl upside down.
  3. Place large spoonfuls of the mixture on to a baking sheet, lined with oiled baking paper and scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for about an hour until crisp, then leave in the oven to cool.
  4. For the rhubarb, cut the stalks into short lengths and place in a large saucepan with the sugar and the Sloemotion Sloe Gin. Leave over a moderate heat to simmer until tender for about 10 minutes. Drain the rhubarb and reserve the syrup, allowing it to cool and then chill in the fridge.
  5. Pour the cream into a large bowl and beat until it starts to thicken. It should sit in soft mounds rather than stiff peaks. Crumble some of the meringues, not too finely, into the cream, letting them sit on top. Add the rhubarb to the cream, depending on how sweet you want the pudding to be, leaving strands of rhubarb and lumps of meringue in the cream.
  6. Spoon into glasses or dishes, then, just as you are about to serve, pour the chilled rhubarb juice around the edge of each dish. Delicious!