Rhubarb Custard Tart
Is rhubarb underrated or overrated?! I think it’s underrated, it’s one of the first fruits that grow in our garden in the early Spring before anything else and it takes me right back to my childhood. My mum’s favourite pie is a rhubarb pie, so every year we’d stash rhubarb in the freezer so that we could make a rhubarb pie for my mum’s birthday in January! Plus, my mum always makes so many different rhubarb recipes from Stewed Rhubarb to rhubarb cake to rhubarb tapioca to strawberry rhubarb pie. Rhubarb is just so flavourful, bright, and tart perfect after a winter full of caramel, chocolate, and rich flavoured desserts!
This grain-free rhubarb custard tart is unbelievably yummy. The sweet creamy custard base on top of a crisp, buttery pastry, topped with tart rhubarb, the combination of textures and flavours is just heaven on a fork!
Grain-Free Sweet Crust
For this tart, I actually used the same crust as my Paleo Quiche recipe uses, except I add in a bit of icing sugar for some sweetness. This crust is so easy to make, I know that Pie Crust has a reputation of being complicated, finicky, and a bit daunting to make from scratch, but this crust comes together in just a bowl using a cheese grater and your fingers! You can also make this pie dough in a food processor, for that method, you would simply add your ingredients to your processor and pulse until it all comes together. The nice thing about a grain-free crust is it’s very difficult to overmix or over-process. Unlike a traditional gluten dough which can become tough if you overmix it thanks to excess gluten development, this sweet dough doesn’t have any gluten, so you can’t overdevelop the gluten! The almond flour in this crust adds so much flavour and compliments the rhubarb and custard beautifully.
I like to par-bake my pie dough, especially when adding a liquid filling like custard or curd. Par-baking your pie crust ensures you end up with a crisp crust instead of a soggy bottom. To par-bake your crust, place a piece of foil or parchment paper over your prepared crust and fill the pie plate with pie weights or beans or lentils overtop of the parchment. So, you’ll have your pie plate, then your pie crust in the plate, then a piece of parchment, then the beans/weights. Bake it like that to start. Then about 20 minutes into baking, remove the pie weights and parchment and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes until it starts to go golden brown. Remove and fill with your prepared custard and top with rhubarb and a sprinkle of sugar and finish baking.
Rhubarb Custard Tart
Author: ElizabethServings: one 9-inch tart
Ingredients
Crust
1/4 cup cold butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca or arrowroot starch
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Filling
8-10 stalks rhubarb
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
Pinch salt
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk (or non-dairy milk)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon castor or Demerara sugar
Instructions:
1. MAKE THE CRUST: Grate your cold butter on the coarse side of a box grater. Add the grated butter, flours and salt to a bowl. Using your fingers, pinch and rub the flour/butter mixture together until it the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Add the egg and combine with a spoon until you reach an evenly blended dough that sticks together. Shape dough into an inch-thick disc, wrap in beeswax wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 12 hours.
2. Once your dough is chilled, remove from fridge. Preheat your oven to 350F . Place your dough in a pie plate and use your fingers to spread the dough along the bottom and sides of the dish. Use a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup to even it out and press the dough into the sides of the plate. Prick the dough with a fork. This dough is quite delicate, so it's easiest to use your fingers to spread it instead of rolling it with a rolling pin.
3. Place a piece of parchment paper on your unbaked pie shell and fill it with pie weights or dried beans/lentils. Bake for 25 minutes with pie weights. Remove pie weights/beans and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes uncovered until slightly golden brown. Leave your oven on!
4. MAKE THE FILLING: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add the sugar and whisk until well combined. Add in salt and arrowroot flour and whisk well.
5. Pour the custard filling into the par-baked pie shell. Top with rhubarb stalks, trimming them as you go to fit snuggly on top of your custard mixture. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with castor or demerara sugar.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until set.
7. Remove the pie to a rack to cool completely before slicing. To store, refrigerate and enjoy within 2-3 days, the sooner the better to avoid a soggy crust.
