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Tom Parker Bowles’s rhubarb fool

Name: Tom Parker Bowles’s rhubarb fool
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 1.5kg rhubarb, cut into 4cm lengths; 300g caster sugar; Finely grated zest and juice 1 orange; 568ml double cream; 200g ginger biscuits, crushed; 125ml The King’s Ginger liqueur or Stone’s Original Ginger Wine

By: Tom Parker Bowles

Published: 12 May 25
Updated: 26 May 25

Rhubarb fool is deliciously easy to make and food writer Tom Parker Bowles’s traditional version uses just six ingredients. “Fool: great name and beautifully simple to make – rhubarb is my favourite version,” says Tom, whose recipe includes a touch of ginger.

Classic flavour pairing: Tom combines rhubarb with ginger for a low-effort but flavour-packed dessert. “Ginger biscuits add wonderful crunch and soaking them in The King’s Ginger liqueur makes it finer still.”
Flexible recipe: “As summer makes an appearance, use gooseberries or raspberries instead,” suggest Tom. Use any soft summer fruit you like as-is, or make a compote from hardier fruits to fold into the cream.
Easy method: Only 20-minutes hands-on time are needed – the oven does the rest of the hard work.

Try a strawberry, blackberry or damson fool next.

Easy
May 2025

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6
Prep time 20 min, plus cooling. Cook time 40 min

Classic flavour pairing: Tom combines rhubarb with ginger for a low-effort but flavour-packed dessert. “Ginger biscuits add wonderful crunch and soaking them in The King’s Ginger liqueur makes it finer still.”
Flexible recipe: “As summer makes an appearance, use gooseberries or raspberries instead,” suggest Tom. Use any soft summer fruit you like as-is, or make a compote from hardier fruits to fold into the cream.
Easy method: Only 20-minutes hands-on time are needed – the oven does the rest of the hard work.

Try a strawberry, blackberry or damson fool next.

Vegetarian

Nutrition: Per serving

Calories: 645kcals
Fat: 48g (30g saturated)
Protein: 3.7g
Carbohydrates: 36g (35g sugars)
Fibre: 3.8g
Salt: 0.1g

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Ingredients

1.5kg rhubarb, cut into 4cm lengths
300g caster sugar
Finely grated zest and juice 1 orange
568ml double cream
200g ginger biscuits, crushed
125ml The King’s Ginger liqueur or Stone’s Original Ginger Wine

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/gas 4. Put the rhubarb in a casserole and sprinkle with the sugar, orange zest and juice. Cover and roast for about 40 minutes until soft. Allow to cool.
Strain the juice and reserve; pick out 18 pieces of rhubarb for decoration and set aside. Purée the remaining rhubarb in a food processor.
Whip the cream with an electric mixer until it forms soft peaks (that flop over when you lift out the whisk/beaters), then fold in the rhubarb purée along with a few dribbles of the reserved juice. Don’t mix too manically.

Divide the crushed ginger biscuits among 6 wine glasses, then add a splash of the ginger booze. Spoon the fool on top and finish each glass with 3 pieces of rhubarb.