Rhubarb fool

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375F/gas 5. Scrape the seeds from half the vanilla pod and mix into the sugar. Place the rhubarb in an ovenproof dish; add the sugar as well as the scraped two halves of the vanilla pod. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Tip the rhubarb into a sieve placed over a bowl or a pan to reserve the juice. Discard the vanilla pod. Whizz the rhubarb in a blender to a smooth puree. Simmer the collected juice in a small saucepan until reduced and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Pour it into a small jug or a bowl and cool completely.

Whip the double cream until soft peaks – don’t over whip or it will be too stiff. Stir the rose water into the rhubarb puree and fold the puree into whipped cream.

Chill for at least half an hour, then spoon into serving bowls or shot glasses, drizzle with the syrup and serve. A shortbread or a ginger biscuit will go well with the fool.