1. Prepare and Cook the Rhubarb Compote:

• In a medium saucepan with a lid, combine the 1 pound of chopped rhubarb and the ¼ cup of granulated sugar.
• Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, which will happen as the sugar draws juice from the rhubarb. This may take a few minutes.
• Once simmering, cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times. The rhubarb will begin to soften.
• Reduce the heat to low, replace the lid, and allow the rhubarb to cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until it is very soft and breaking down. The recipe notes that stirring it more will cause it to break down into smaller pieces, which is desirable for this preparation.

2. Drain and Cool Rhubarb and Juice:

• Place a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl.
• Pour the cooked rhubarb mixture into the sieve. Allow the beautiful pink juice from the rhubarb to drain completely into the bowl below. Do not press on the solids; just let gravity do the work.
• You will now have two components: the soft rhubarb compote (pulp) in the sieve, and the reserved rhubarb juice in the bowl.
• Allow both the compote and the juice to cool completely to room temperature. To speed up the process, you can place them in the refrigerator. The components must be fully chilled before mixing with the whipped cream.

3. Whip the Cream:

• In a large, preferably chilled, mixing bowl, pour in the 2 cups of cold heavy whipping cream.
• Using an electric mixer (with whisk attachments) on medium-high speed, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Soft peaks are when you lift the beaters out of the cream and the peak gently curls over on itself. Be careful not to overwhip it into stiff peaks or it will be harder to fold. (If sweetening your cream, add 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar as it begins to thicken).

4. Fold the Fool:

• Gently add the completely cooled rhubarb compote (NOT the reserved juice) to the bowl of whipped cream.
• Using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold the rhubarb pulp into the whipped cream until they are just combined. You are aiming for beautiful swirls and ribbons of pink and white, not a uniformly mixed pink mousse. Use gentle “cut and fold” motions, scraping from the bottom and folding over the top, to maintain the airiness of the whipped cream.

5. Assemble, Chill, and Serve:

• Spoon the prepared Rhubarb Fool mixture into individual serving glasses or bowls.
• Drizzle some of the reserved rhubarb juice over the top of each serving.
• Cover the glasses and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the fool to set completely.
• Just before serving, you can add an additional drizzle of the reserved juice for extra flavor and visual appeal.
• Serve chilled and enjoy this elegant, classic dessert!