Rhubarb is a wonderful seasonal fruit which has a very tart and interesting flavor. If you have been thinking of fresh and new things to do with rhubarb and you're getting tired of the regular pie or fool, then this would be something to try out. Here we serve rhubarb in a slightly different way from how it's commonly done: the stalks are cut in rather large pieces and then baked in the oven with some sugar and liqueur. This makes the stalks soft and while they retain their slightly tart flavor, they turn sweet and delicious. We serve this with a great whipped mascarpone cream which is remarkably simple, yet much more interesting than regular cream. 
Baked Rhubarb with Whipped Mascarpone Vanilla Cream
4 servings Ingredients: - 8 rhubarb stalks
- 2 tbsps brown sugar
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- ¼ cup triple sec or other liqueur
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsps butter
- 8 oz whipping cream
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method:
Put the oven on 400 degrees. Trim of the rhubarb stalks and “peel' it if it has a thick outer layer. Cut each stalk in 3-4 inch pieces. Butter an oven proof dish and lay the rhubarb in it in a single layer. Top with the sugar, triple sec and salt. Cut up the rest of the butter in small pieces and scatter them over the rhubarb. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30 min. At this point, take the foil of, turn all the rhubarb stalks over and put back in the oven for about 10 minutes.
While the rhubarb is cooking, add the sugar to the cream and whip until soft peaks form. At this point add the mascarpone cheese, add the vanilla and whip until well combined. Cover with plastic and keep in the oven until the rhubarb is done.
Serve a few rhubarb pieces next to a dollop of the mascarpone cream.
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