Sunshine in its abundance today, I love being able to bake with the kitchen door open into the garden, all that light and warmth streaming through really makes it such a pleasure, even with the mound of washing up I always create.
I can't get enough of rhubarb at the mo, we made a gorgeous rhubarb compote that has been smothering our morning porridge for the last week and I just had a delivery of some more on Tuesday so thought I'd tart it up!
I'm a sucker for anything almond flavoured so frangipane tart was a no brainer, plus almonds are a perfect flavour combo for rhubarb, throw in some oranges and it's a winner for dessert any occasion...G
Rhubarb and Orange Frangipane Tart
Makes 10" Tart
sweet pastry
200g plain flour
100g goats butter
50g raw cane sugar
pinch salt
1 x free range egg (beaten)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (the good stuff please, real vanilla beans in it if possible)
Rhubarb and Orange Filling
- 4 large sticks rhubarb
- 2 oranges zest and juice (put the zest aside)
- 2 tbsp local honey
Almond Frangipane
- 100g raw cane sugar
- 100g goats butter
- 2 x free range eggs (beaten)
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 50g ground almonds
- 50g breadcrumbs (cake crumbs are even better if you have them lying round?)
- (zest from the rhubarb filling)
Oven at 180'C and grease a 10" tart case with removable base. If you have a mixer, beat the sugar, butter, salt, vanilla and flour until crumb texture (couple of mins), add the egg sparingly, you want the pastry to come together then stop the machine immediately. If by hand then same thing without the mixer, rub the butter into all the other ingredients until crumb texture and then gradually incorporate egg until it comes together. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
Cut the rhubarb into inch slices and add to a saucepan, add the juice from the oranges and just chuck the squeezed oranges in as well, drizzle on the honey and place on a hob medium heat, stir occasionally for 10 mins until the rhubarb is tender.
Take the pastry out and lightly flour your work surface, roll out the pastry to accommodate your tin and press into sides using a small piece of pastry so its gentle (please don't re roll the pastry, it will shrink and become chewy, its better just to have it looking like a patchwork quilt in the tin), prick the pastry all over and pop a piece of greaseproof paper on top, fill with baking beans or pasta or rice, whatever you like to use for blind baking pastry and pop it in the oven middle shelf.
Bake for 15 mins, then take out and remove the greaseproof and beans and return to the oven for a further 5 - 10 mins, when it's golden brown it's time to come out.
Meanwhile to make the frangipane, beat the sugar and butter until creamy and light (medium to fast speed on a mixer) add in the beaten egg gradually so as not to split the mix, add the almond extract and zest, mix in the crumbs and almonds by hand with a spatula, set aside.
Spoon the rhubarb filling into the pastry tart but remove the squeezed oranges, you might not need all the filling but you want the tin about half full, scoop on the frangipane and using a knife, attempt to spread it to all edges( there are no edges it's a circle but you know what I mean), whack it back in the oven for another 20 - 25 mins.
You're done congrats, let it cool down before you get over excited and start cutting it, serve with custard/berries/cream ...bit of everything?
