A busy week in our Lockdown Tower. Not sure doing what, but busy nonetheless, a walk here, a walk there, cooking here and there, story time for a three year old, reading and story time for a five year old, sorting stuff, here, there and everywhere.

Whilst himself did some cooking ( a spicy Peruvian Stew) and of course another Lockdown series of bedtime stories for the Finchley Three. He takes it very seriously especially when after edition 1 #2, he was told it was Not His Best! So hours are spent each week, creating another new story.

We also had a mini Burns Night, complete with Haggis ( which I have to say tastes better drenched in Whiskey) and a piper zoomed in from Brussels.

I had a surplus of rhubarb. Himself LOVES rhubarb and I guess I went over the top, when I ordered from Watts Farm. So it had to be used. Normally I am never more creative than a rhubarb crumble. I have made a rhubarb sauce to go with fish but the ‘Go to recipe’ is the crumble.

Therefore some out of the box thinking was required and I came up with two alternatives. Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream and Rhubarb Clafoutis.

I first came across Clafoutis when we lived in Texas and had a Belgian Au Pair. She came complete with a cookery book created by her parents and Clafoutis has been in my repertoire ever since.

It is a baked French dessert of fruit, traditionally made with cherries, or other red summer fruits, arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. It is then dusted with powdered sugar and served lukewarm, sometimes with cream. There are , of course, many variations of a recipe but here is one. It makes 6-8 servings

• 4 eggs
• 100 grms sugar
• 250 mls cream
• 50 grms plain flour
• 200 grms plain full fat cream cheese
• 500 grms cooked rhubarb

Heat the oven to 200C fan or 220 C non fan oven.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream, cream cheese and flour.

Put the cooked rhubarb ( drain off most of the juice) into the bottom of a dish, I used a soufflé dish because of the depth. Pour on the batter and bake for +/- 35 minutes. It will rise up like a soufflé and be golden brown.

It will fall upon cooling, but serve warm with cream or crème fraiche.

Left overs? Seriously, well in that case, it can be eaten cold, or a quick zap in the microwave just to make it warm.

Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream, is DELICIOUS, especially if you are a rhubarb crumble fan ( I am not) but both the look and taste of it, is almost like custard and cream.

Make your basic crumble mix

• 100 grms plain four
• 3 Oz cold butter cut into chunks
• 3oz sugar

I put the flour into the food processor along with the sugar and with the motor running drop in the butter and process just for a few seconds until the bumping of the butter stops.

Spread the crumble mix on a baking tray and bake at 200/220 ( fan/non fan) for about 10-15 minutes until golden and cooked.

I usually add, chopped nuts and / or ground almonds to my crumble mix as well.

Put to one side to cool

Drain the cooked rhubarb and again in the food processor , process into a purée.

For the basic ice cream mix

• 500 mls double cream
• 50 mls full fat plain yoghurt
• 100 grms caster sugar
• 3 eggs

Put the eggs into a food processor along with the sugar, whisk for a minute, then pour in the yoghurt and the cream. Process for a couple of minutes. Pour into a jug, and stir in the rhubarb.

Freeze either just in a container, stirring a couple of times,adding the crumble, when it starts to thicken. Likewise, if using an ice cream machine, only add the crumble mix, when you transfer the ice cream mix to the freezer.