Rhubarb shortcake

Tam West

Kids can be encouraged into the kitchen to cook food they like to eat - such as dessert! This is a good starter recipe. The shortcake dough is a little sticky to work with, so flour your hands to help you. It is deliciously short (rich and crumbly) in texture when cooked.

Ingredients

350 g	Rhubarb, cut into 5cm lengths (Main)
½ cup	Sugar
¼ cup	Water
125 g	Butter, softened
½ cup	Icing sugar
1	Egg, lightly beaten
1 cup	Flour
¼ cup	Cornflour
1 tsp	Baking powder

Directions

1. Place rhubarb in a saucepan with the sugar and water, cover, and place over a low heat. Cook gently until the rhubarb is soft but still holds its shape, about 8 minutes for thin stalks. Leave to cool.
2. Heat the oven to 180C.
3. Place butter and icing sugar in a bowl and beat using an electric beater (or by hand with a wooden spoon), until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well.
4. Sift flour, cornflour and baking powder over butter mixture and fold in. Place dough on a lightly floured bench and roll into a ball. Press ⅔ dough into the base of a lightly buttered shallow enamel pie dish. The dough is quite sticky so flour your hands to press dough in or use the back of a metal spoon.
5. Spoon cooled rhubarb over the base, leaving most of the juices behind. Break remaining dough into small pieces and place on top, then gently press them down. The pieces of dough will spread together during baking.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until shortcake is golden. Serve warm or cold with icecream or whipped cream.

See more of Kathy's dessert recipes for kids

• Vanilla pudding
• Chocolate and boysenberry clafoutis