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Recipe Detail Page
Vanilla-Roasted Rhubarb with Five-Spice Biscuits & Ginger Crème Fraîche
Spring 2017
These biscuits can be baked up to eight hours ahead; reheat them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 10 minutes. No need to thaw frozen rhubarb, if using. Simply rinse under cold water to remove frost and drain well.
Makes 10 biscuits; serves 6 to 8
FIVE-SPICE BISCUITS
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) five-spice powder
½ tsp (2 mL) baking soda
½ tsp (2 mL) table salt
½ tsp (2 mL) finely grated orange zest
½ cup plus 2 tbsp (155 mL) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¾ cup (175 mL) buttermilk (shake carton well before measuring)
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp (15 mL) cold water
1 tbsp (15 mL) turbinado sugar (optional)
VANILLA-ROASTED RHUBARB
6 cups (1.5 L) trimmed, sliced rhubarb, about 12 stalks
½ cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
GINGER CRÈME FRAÎCHE
1½ cups (375 mL) crème fraiche
1/3 cup (80 mL) finely chopped candied ginger in syrup
1 For five-spice biscuits, preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, five-spice powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest. Pulse until well combined.
2 Add butter to food processor. Pulse about 12 times, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3 Tip flour-butter mixture into a large bowl. Add buttermilk, then stir gently with a fork just until dough comes together. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat out into a disc about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
4 Using a 2-inch (5-cm) cutter, cut out 8 biscuits. Gather together trimmings and again gently pat out into a disc about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Cut 2 more biscuits, discarding trimmings. Fit biscuits, with their sides touching, in an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan.
5 In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and water. Brush tops of biscuits with egg mixture. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar (if using). Bake until well risen and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
6 Remove biscuits from the pan and let cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm.
7 For vanilla-roasted rhubarb, adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread rhubarb out in a 13- x 9-inch (3 L) baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar.
8 With a small sharp knife, split vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape out seeds into dish. Add both halves of bean to dish. Stir rhubarb mixture gently to combine.
9 Cover dish tightly with foil and bake until rhubarb is tender but still holds its shape and juices are bubbly, about 30 minutes, stirring gently halfway through.
10 Set a colander over a medium saucepan. Gently pour rhubarb mixture into colander, draining juices into saucepan. Add vanilla bean pieces to saucepan, then tip rhubarb into a serving dish and let cool to room temperature.
11 Boil juices in saucepan over high heat, stirring often, until reduced, darkened and slightly syrupy, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Just before serving, discard vanilla bean pieces, pour reduced juices over rhubarb and stir gently.
12 For ginger crème fraîche, stir together crème fraîche and candied ginger in a medium bowl. Scrape into a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
13 To assemble shortcakes, split warm biscuits in half horizontally. Top with roasted rhubarb and crème fraîche.
Makes 10 biscuits; serves 6 to 8
