This recipe was an experiment from start to finish. I adore spoon sweets, and thought the freshness of this sounded lovely. That said, I had my reservations before I began. I am delighted to report that they were completely unfounded; these little almond cream rhubarb cups are decidedly not sweet, and delightfully mouth-puckering. This recipe is adapted, as so many of mine are, from Christophe Felder’s Patisserie. The original author includes strawberries here; I want only the unadulterated rhubarb.

Rhubarb Compote

2 sheets of gelatine (don’t substitute the powder)

1 vanilla bean

1 lb (2 cups) thinly sliced rhubarb

1/4 cup sugar

2 whole cloves

1 lemon or 1 orange, or half of each

Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water until they are soft – 5-10 minutes, then squeeze them dry.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the back of a paring knife.

Put the rhubarb and sugar in a medium saucepan along with the cloves and vanilla seeds and bean pod. Squeeze the juice from the lemon or orange (or half of each) over the rhubarb mixture. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is very soft. This should take 5-10 minutes. (Perfect timing for the gelatine.)

Add the soft gelatine sheets and stir them into the fruit mixture until they are dissolved, then remove the cloves and vanilla bean pod. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill until completely cold.

Almond Cream

2 1/2 sheets of gelatine (again, no powder please)

1/2 cup whole milk

2/3 cup almond milk (ideally homemade)

1 cup heavy cream

Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water until they are soft – 5-10 minutes, then squeeze them dry.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a boil then whisk in the softened gelatine until it has dissolved.

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the almond milk, then let it cool until it is the same temperature as a finger dipped in.

Whip the cream to soft peaks, then whisk in the almond milk mixture until it is smooth.

Spoon the rhubarb compote into glasses or small bowls, filling them halfway (more or less depending on your preference.) Top the compote with the almond cream and chill until the cream is set, at least 2 hours or preferably overnight. Have faith! The cream does not seem like it will set, but the end result will be a very softly set, luxurious, somewhere-between-mousse-and-custard-and-jelly cream.