This dessert is the perfect thing to round off your Easter meal with! Rhubarb jelly is topped with a creamy custard and served with honeycomb.
To make our matcha version, see the tip box below.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
For the jelly
- 1 kg forced rhubarb, trimmed
- 250 g caster sugar
- 8 platinum-grade leaf gelatine, we used Dr. Oetker
For the custard
- 1 vanilla pod
- 200 ml whole milk
- 400 ml double cream
- 6 large egg yolks
- 75 g caster sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cornflour
For the honeycomb
- Oil, to grease
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. bicarbonate soda
- 125 g caster sugar
- 3 Tbsp. golden syrup, see GH Tip
You will also need
- A large piece of muslin, available from Ocado, Lakeland and Amazon, or clean J-cloth
- Step 1For the jelly, cut the rhubarb into 2.5cm pieces and put into a medium pan with the sugar and 350ml water. Heat gently, stirring until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10min, until rhubarb is tender. Meanwhile soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5min.
- Step 2Line a colander or sieve with a large piece of muslin or a clean J-cloth and set over a large heatproof jug. Strain in the hot rhubarb mixture, pressing down on the pulp. You should have about 1 litre syrup (save any extra syrup to drizzle over yogurt or use in cocktails). Discard pulp.
- Step 3Lift gelatine out of water, squeeze out excess water, and stir into hot rhubarb mixture to dissolve. Pour into 8 x 200ml serving glasses. Cool completely, then chill for at least 4hr, until set.
- Step 4Meanwhile, make the custard. Halve the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add seeds and pod to a medium pan with the milk and double cream and heat over medium heat until just simmering. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for 10min. Discard pod.
- Step 5In a bowl, whisk yolks, sugar and cornflour. Whisk in the warm cream mixture, then return mixture to the pan and cook, whisking, until thickened (it needs to just come to the boil, but don’t over-boil or it will scramble). Strain through a sieve into a bowl, lay clingfilm or baking parchment directly on the surface; cool.
- Step 6Spoon custard over the set jelly and chill for at least 2hr to thicken.
- Step 7To make the honeycomb, grease a small loaf tin or baking tray. Mix ginger and bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl. Cook sugar and golden syrup in a medium pan over low heat, swirling the pan every now and then, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bubble until a rich amber colour (or 148°C on a sugar thermometer). Remove from heat and quickly whisk in the ginger mixture to combine – careful, as it will froth up! Don’t over-whisk or the air bubbles will be tiny. Pour into/on to the greased tin/tray. Leave to cool and harden.
- Step 8To serve, break the honeycomb into small shards and sprinkle over the custard. Serve immediately.
If you'd like to make our matcha version (as in the video), then mix 11/2tbsp matcha powder with 2tbsp of the milk until combined. Add this mixture, along with the rest of the milk and cream to the pan as in beginning of step 4. Continue with the recipe.
Get Ahead:
Make jelly up to 3 days ahead, once set, cover and chill. Add custard up to a day ahead. Make honeycomb up to 3 days ahead, once cool, wrap and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Complete recipe to serve.
GH Tip:
The easiest way to measure golden syrup is to lightly grease the measuring spoon first – the syrup should slide right out!
Per serving:
- Calories: 581
- Protein: 7g
- Total Fat: 32g
- Saturates: 19g
- Carbs: 65g
- Total sugars: 63
- Fibre: <1g
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
