In season rhubarb

With its tangy tartness, rhubarb has been a favourite with cake and dessert cooks for generations. Not just for sweet dishes, this versatile veg is equally delicious with savoury flavours too!

Rhubarb & strawberry sponge puddings

PREP+ COOK TIME 1 HOUR MAKES 6

• 5½ cups (600g) coarsely chopped rhubarb
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice
• 500g strawberries, hulled, halved
• 2 teaspoons icing sugar

SPONGE MIXTURE

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup (110g) caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour
• 1/2 tablespoon cornflour

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan.

2 Place rhubarb, sugar and juice in a large saucepan over low heat; cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Stir in strawberries.

3 Meanwhile, make sponge mixture.

4 Spoon three-quarters of the fruit mixture into six 1-cup (250ml) ovenproof baking dishes; place on a large oven tray. Bake for 5 minutes or until fruit mixture is bubbling. Remove from oven.

5 Spoon sponge mixture on hot fruit mixture; bake for a further 30 minutes or until sponge springs back when pressed lightly in the centre with your finger.

6 Serve puddings immediately, topped with remaining fruit mixture and sifted icing sugar. Serve with vanilla ice-cream, if you like.

SPONGE MIXTURE Beat eggs and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer for 10 minutes or until thick and creamy. Sift flours twice onto baking paper. Sift a third time over egg mixture; gently fold through until combined.

In season

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