Mothers Day special - Rhubarb & Vanilla Custard Tart

IMG_5255Forced rhubarb is in season for just a short time and happily it coincides with Mothers Day. Amy, our kitchen coach has been working her magic in her Roundhouse bespoke kitchen creating an utterly mouth-watering Rhubarb and Vanilla Custard Tart.Amy_Rhubarb
We tasted the prototype at Roundhouse Towers yesterday and the unanimous verdict?  Mmmmmm! Everyone relished the tart and gave it the thumbs up. It really was delicious in all its pink and creaminess.
What’s not to like? Go on try the recipe below  – your mum’s worth it!
Rhubarb and Vanilla Custard Tart
Ingredients
For the pastry
275g plain flour
55g custard powder
pinch fine salt
200g cold butter, cubed
4 tbsp caster sugar
2 egg yolks
1 x whole egg, beaten, for sealing
For the filling
1kg forced rhubarb
200g caster sugar
250ml crème fraîche
125ml double cream
3 egg yolks
½ vanilla pod, seeds only
Method
1. Begin by making the pastry. Tip the flour, custard powder and pinch of salt in to a food processor, and pulse to combine.
2. Drop in the butter, and pulse again until the mix resembles breadcrumbs, then stir through the sugar.
3. With the motor running, add the egg yolks and 3-4 tablespoons of iced water. Don’t over mix in the food processor as this will make for hard pastry; instead tip out on to a floured work surface and gently bring together in to a ball with your hands. Flatten in to a smooth disc, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Trim the rhubarb, and cut in to lengths about 5cm long, then slice lengthwise two or three times. Tip in to a bowl and add 150g of the sugar, turning to coat well. Allow to macerate for at least an hour to draw out some of the water from the rhubarb, and intensify it’s flavour.
5. Now back to the pastry. Roll out on a floured work surface to the thickness roughly of a pound coin, and use to line a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin. Allow the surplus pastry to hang down over the sides, press into the edges of the tin but don’t stretch it as it will shrink back during baking. Prick the base all over with a fork, then rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking.
6. Place a baking tray on the bottom shelf of the oven, and preheat to 170°C on:

  • Gaggenau: Hot Air + Bottom Heat
  • Miele: Intensive Bake
  • Siemens:
    • iQ300 – 3D Hot Air
    • iQ500 – Pizza Setting
    • iQ700 – Pizza Setting OR Intensive Heat

7. Line the pastry case with a disc of baking parchment, and tip in your baking beans, or uncooked pulses or rice. Bake the tart case blind for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and lift out the parchment and beans. Brush the pastry with beaten egg and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes. The heat you get from the floor of the oven on this function will help to crisp the pastry case nicely.
8. Remove the tart case from the oven to cool slightly, and switch your oven on to the Fan setting, 170°C –heat from the oven floor can sometimes be too intense for this delicate custard filling.
9. Tip the rhubarb in to a sieve and let the liquid drain through, pressing the pieces with your hands to extract as much liquid as possible.
10. Mix the remaining filling ingredients with the remaining sugar.
11. Using a sharp knife, trim the excess pastry from the edge of the tart. Pile the rhubarb in to the pastry case, and pour in the filling. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is lightly coloured. The filling should be just set, with a slight quiver when you gently shake the tart.
**Any leftover pastry can be frozen for up to 3 months, or use it to make some jam tarts**
**Don’t forget that any leftover egg whites can be used to make our mini pavlovas… recipe coming soon!**IMG_5278