Spring time, and even early summer, is prime rhubarb season. Rhubarb and strawberry is a match made in heaven, so no wonder it’s a popular summer picnic combo! It wasn’t till I was an adult that I was introduced to this magic. Rhubarb looks kind of like giant chard with its large leaves and red stalks, but the taste is so unique. It’s incredibly tart, but has a mellow sourness, rather than the tangy, sharp sour taste that a lemon might have. And since it is so tart, rhubarb is best combined with something sweet, such as strawberries.
Recently, my neighbor gifted me some rhubarb – gotta love the generosity and friendliness around my neighborhood! I was mildly stumped on how I wanted to use the rhubarb. Do I go with the standard rhubarb strawberry pie or a crumble or something entirely different?
Well, as a lover of all things almond, I decided to do an almond take on the rhubarb pie and French-ify it – if that’s even a word! This tart consists of a sweet, flaky pastry crust. Then a layer of frangipane, an almond based sweet filling. And then geometrically lining the rhubarb stalks to create a pretty design – or go for free form if you choose. I’ve also added a strawberry-cardamom jam to complement the tart. I think it adds a wonderful warm touch and extra zang to the tart.
A note on rhubarb: the leaves are toxic, so remove as much as you can before chopping the stems. Although the stems seem hardy, they are filled with water, so when they’re baked, they lose their structural integrity. So to maintain the shape, cut at least 1 inch long pieces, if not longer.
Rhubarb Frangipane Tart
Ingredients
Pate Sucree
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1-1/4 cup flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp water, chilled
Frangipane
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 large eggs
- 4 rhubarb stalks
Strawberry-Cardamom Jam
- 1/2 cup strawberries, stemmed and diced
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
Instructions
- Pâté Sucrée: Mix together all the ingredients (except water) until just combined. If needed, add 1 Tbsp of water at a time to hold the dough together. Shape the dough into a circle and chill for 30 min.
- Frangipane: Mix all the franipane ingredients together and set aside.
- Chop the rhubarb. Any style works, but for geometric patterning, cut at the same angles for each piece. Ensure each piece is at least 1 square inch or the rhubarb may not maintain its form.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Assembling: Roll out the dough to a 12 inch diameter and fit it into a tart pan. Spread the frangipane evenly along the bottom of the lined tart. Place rhubarb pieces on top as desired. Bake for 40 min until crust becomes golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.
- Strawberry Cardamom Jam: While tart is baking, heat up the strawberries with sugar on low heat. Mash to get the juices out, about 10 min and add the rest of the ingredients (honey, cinnamon, cardamon) and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Once tart has cooled, slice and serve with strawberry-cardamom jam. Enjoy!
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