Ingredients

• 300ml/10½fl oz double cream
• 1 vanilla pod
• split in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 2-3 gelatine leaves
• soaked in water for a few minutes
• 350ml/12fl oz buttermilk
• 25ml/1fl oz vodka
• oil
• for greasing
• 140g/5oz soft brown sugar
• 85g/3oz clarified beef dripping
• 225g/8oz mixed dried fruit and candied peel
• 225g/8oz wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground allspice
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 500g/18fl oz rhubarb
• cut into batons
• 2 tbsp light soft brown sugar
• 4 tbsp apple juice

Directions

• For the panna cotta
• chill a large jug or bowl in the freezer.
• Heat the double cream
• vanilla pod and seeds and sugar in a saucepan until just boiling. Remove the pan from heat
• add the soaked gelatine and buttermilk and whisk until well combined
• Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into the chilled jug
• and then stir in the vodka.
• Return the jug to the fridge and whisk the mixture every five minutes until it begins to set.
• Pour the mixture into dariole moulds and chill in the fridge for at least two hours
• or until completely set.
• For the dripping cake
• preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line an 18cm/7in cake tin.
• Put the sugar
• dripping
• dried fruit and candied peel into a saucepan. Add 225ml/8fl oz water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 10 minutes
• then allow to cool in the pan.
• Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the cooled dried-fruit mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon
• gradually drawing in the flour from around the edge of the well
• until you have a smooth batter.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 40 minutes
• or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Leave in the tin for five minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the roasted rhubarb
• preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Place the rhubarb on a roasting tray
• sprinkle over the sugar then drizzle over the apple juice. Roast in the oven for 8-12 minutes
• or until just tender.
• Blend 125g/4½oz of the roasted rhubarb to a purée in a food processor. Reserve the remaining roasted rhubarb.
• To serve
• remove the panna cotta from their moulds
• by briefly dipping the base of each mould into a bowl of boiled water. Gently slide a knife around the edge of each panna cotta and turn out into the centre of a serving plate. Serve with the rhubarb purée
• a slice of dripping cake and roasted rhubarb.