Rhubarb Tart

Ingredients

Note
Prepare the rhubarb the night before.
1 stalk rhubarb
1/3 cup sugar

Tart Dough
½ cup soft butter
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
½ tsp. salt
2 egg yolks
1 cup flour

Strawberry Sorbet
1 c. strawberries
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. granulated sugar

Flan Custard Tart Filling
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
2 tbsp. sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cornstarch

Meringue Topping
4 egg whites
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

The night before, peel the rhubarb and cut into quarter-inch dice. Sprinkle the sugar over the rhubarb, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Dice the strawberries, spread them out on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and place in the freezer.

For the Sorbet
Place the frozen berries, water, and sugar in a blender. Purée until a smooth, uniform texture is achieved. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

For the Tart Dough
Combine the confectioners’ sugar and the butter and mix together until creamy. Slowly add the egg yolk and then the salt. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Finish by kneading the dough by hand until it is smooth.

Roll the dough to approximately 1/8-inch thickness and cut into circles to fit two individual tart pans, each approximately 4 inches in diameter. Line the tart pans with the dough and refrigerate for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350. Line the inside of the tart dough with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake tart shells for 6 minutes at 350, rotating halfway through. When cool enough to handle, remove the beans.

For the Flan Custard Filling
Whisk together the cream, milk, and egg yolks, and then add the sugar. Whisk in the vanilla extract.

To Assemble The Tart:
Reduce oven temperature to 300. Remove the rhubarb from the refrigerator and drain off any excess water. Fill the prepared tart shells with the rhubarb mixture almost to the top. Ladle some of the flan custard over the rhubarb to fill the shell. Bake the tarts for 20 minutes, or until the custard is set, rotating the position of the tray halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the Meringue Topping
Increase the oven temperature to 350. In a mixing bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Slowly add half of the granulated sugar and whip until stiffened. Add the remaining granulated sugar and continue whipping egg whites until firm and shiny. Add the confectioners’ sugar until it is just incorporated, taking care not to over-whip. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe into “kisses” on top of the tart. Return the tarts to the oven for five minutes to bake the meringue topping. Finish by browning the meringue topping using a crème brûlée torch, if available, or under the broiler.

(Published 2008)