Cakes & Bakes: Rhubarb and custard tart

One of the things that Todmorden is famous for is Incredible Edible, a group of local people who have started something of a revolution, growing food in public places in & around the town centre.

There are vegetables outside the police station and local community college, herbs along the canal tow-path and in the train station and an apothecary garden in the grounds of the health centre.

Everything is free for anyone to come along and help themselves – or even do a little weeding and clearing if the fancy takes them!

The train station is on one of our daily dog-walking routes and it’s been lovely watching the progress of the peas, red onions, chives and the like.

This week, along with the dog, I left the house with a pair of scissors and a carrier bag and cut a few stems of rhubarb – to use in a rhubarb and custard tart.

Rhubarb & custard is a classic British combination as is baked custard tart. I’ve put them together and come up with a delicious dessert.

I used the same pastry recipe as last week’s pear tart and made sure to add a tad more sugar than normal to the custard recipe… and a tablespoonful of Bird’s Custard Powder.

The sweetness of the custard and the tartness of the rhubarb worked incredibly well – I’ll be making this one again before the end of the rhubarb season.

Rhubarb and custard tart

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Cook Time 40

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

For the pastry base

200 g/7oz plain flour
60 g/2oz icing sugar
pinch of salt
125 g/4½oz very cold butter
1 egg yolk

For the custard

400 ml/14 fl oz double cream
100 ml/3½ fl oz creamy milk
2 eggs plus 2 yolks
100 g/3½oz caster sugar
1 tbsp custard powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the pastry base

Put the flour, icing sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine
Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely - you'll have pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pea-size pieces and that's just fine
Stir the egg, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition
When the egg is in, process in long pulses - about 10 seconds each - until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds
Just before your pastry reaches this clumpy stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change, so listen out
Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Very lightly and sparingly - make that very, very lightly and sparingly - knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing
Butter the tart tin and press the dough evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the tin. Don't be stingy - you want a crust with a little heft because you want to be able to both taste and feel it. Also, don't be too heavy-handed - you want to press the crust in so that the pieces cling to one another and knit together when baked, but you don't want to press so hard that the crust loses its crumbly shortbread-ish texture
Freeze the pastry for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking
Preheat the oven to 175ºC/375ºF/Gas mark 4
Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminium foil and fit the foil tightly against the pastry
Bake the pastry for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the foil. If the pastry has puffed up, press it down gently with the back of a spoon
Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer the pastry case to a cooling rack; keeping it in its tin

For the custard

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, slowly bring the cream and milk to a simmer
In a large, heat-proof measuring jug, whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, custard powder and vanilla extract
Pour the hot cream & milk mixture into the bowl, whisking continuously
Carefully strain the custard on to the cooked pastry base (don't overfill)
Slice the rhubarb into lengths and place into a pattern in the custard
Carefully put the tart tin into the oven (rearrange the rhubarb lengths if they drift in the liquid during the move!)
Bake for 40 minutes or until the top begins to brown
Remove from the oven, sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the top and allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving

Keyword custard tart, fruit tart, rhubarb, tart

Cakes & Bakes : French pear tart

It takes quite a few stages to make this French pear tart but it’s well worth the time and effort needed. If you don’t think you’ll have the time all in one day to do it, you can prepare most of it well in advance and bring it all together on the day you plan to bake & serve it.

You can whiz up the pastry, press it into the tart tin and freeze it… weeks in advance.

I must admit, it has got to be – by a country mile – the most delicious pastry I’ve ever made!

You can cut corners (and time) by using tinned pears or simply omitting the poaching stage if using fresh fruit.

The almond cream can be made a couple of days before and left covered & chilled in the fridge until just before it’s due to be put in the oven.

My rectangular tart tin is so large that I had to double up the almond cream recipe and cut the pears into quarters rather than halves.

The resulting tart is very attractive (not to mention photogenic!) and can be cut so each person gets a neat slice of pear.

It’s moist and sweet – sweet enough to serve with a dollop of tangy crème fraîche or thick Greek yoghurt on the side.

The perfect bake for a dinner party or daily treat.

French pear tart

Dorie Greenspan

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Cook Time 55

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Ingredients

For the pastry

200 g/7oz plain flour
60 g/2oz icing sugar
pinch of salt
125 g/4½oz very cold butter
1 egg yolk

For the pears

3 medium pears
1 lemon
1 litre water
250 g/9oz granulated sugar

For the filling

85 g/3oz butter softened
150 g/5oz caster sugar
75 g/2½ ground almonds
2 tsp plain flour
1 tsp cornflour
1 egg
2 tsp dark rum or vanilla essence

Instructions

For the pastry

Put the flour, icing sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine
Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely - you'll have pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pea-size pieces and that's just fine
Stir the egg, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition
When the egg is in, process in long pulses - about 10 seconds each - until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds
Just before your pastry reaches this clumpy stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change, so listen out
Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Very lightly and sparingly - make that very, very lightly and sparingly - knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing
Butter the tart tin and press the dough evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the tin. Don't be stingy - you want a crust with a little heft because you want to be able to both taste and feel it. Also, don't be too heavy-handed - you want to press the crust in so that the pieces cling to one another and knit together when baked, but you don't want to press so hard that the crust loses its crumbly shortbread-ish texture
Freeze the pastry for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking
Preheat the oven to 175ºC/375ºF/Gas mark 4
Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminium foil and fit the foil tightly against the pastry
Bake the pastry for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the foil. If the pastry has puffed up, press it down gently with the back of a spoon
Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer the pastry case to a cooling rack; keeping it in its tin

For the pears

Peel the pears, leaving them whole
Bring water, sugar and the juice of the lemon to a boil in a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears
Add the pears to the boiling syrup, lower the heat so the syrup simmers and gently poach the pears until they are tender when pierced with a knife - about 15 minutes
Cool the pears to room temperature in the syrup

For the filling

Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture is smooth and satiny
Add the ground almonds and continue to process until well blended
Add the flour, cornflour and egg. Process until the almond cream is homogeneous
Add the rum or vanilla and process just enough to blend

To combine

Fill the baked pastry case with the almond cream, spreading it even with an offset metal icing spatula
Thinly slice each pear half crosswise, lift each half on a spatula and place carefully on to the almond cream to form an attractive pattern
Bake the tart for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the almond cream puffs up around the pears and browns
Transfer the tart to a wire rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature before removing it from its tin
Allow to cool completely before serving

Keyword fruit tart, pear, tart

Cakes & Bakes: Spinach, cheese & onion tart

I bought myself a brand new, fluted loose-bottomed tart tin this week and couldn’t wait to use it!

I decided to make a spinach, cheese & onion tart from a recipe that I tore out of a Telegraph magazine a few weeks ago.

A couple of spoonfuls of English mustard adds a nice piquancy and depth of flavour.

We got six, good portions from the tart which can be eaten either hot or cold.

It’s perfect for a light lunch with a few salad leaves – and can be made well in advance if you’ve got guests coming and don’t want any last-minute stress.

We had it the following night as more substantial evening meal pairing it with paprika-salted potato skins and mixed salad.

There are all kinds of flavour variations possible using this basic method – bacon, chorizo, smoked salmon, goat’s cheese, mushroom…

Very delicious and very versatile.

Spinach, cheese & onion tart

Diana Henry

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Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Ingredients

For the pastry

200 g plain flour
100 g wholemeal flour
150 g cold butter cubed
pinch of salt
3 tbs cold water

For the filling

30 g butter
550 g onions peeled and very finely sliced
6 cloves garlic sliced
450 g spinach
2 whole large eggs plus 3 egg yolks
300 ml double cream
2 tsp English mustard
150 g mature cheddar grated

Instructions

For the pastry

Put the flour, butter and pinch of salt into a food processor and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs
Add the cold water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing between each addition until the mixture comes together into a ball
Shape into a thick disc, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for half an hour

For the filling

Melt the 30g of butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently cook the onion and garlic, with a little salt, until slightly golden, then add a good splash of water and cover
Sweat on a low heat until the onions are soft and sloppy - around half an hour - stirring occasionally
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas mark 4 and put a metal baking sheet inside
Roll out the pastry and line a loose-bottomed tart tin 27cm diameter or 20 x 28cm (keep any leftover bits of pastry)
Chill for 20 minutes
Take the lid off the onions, turn up the heat and let the excess moisture bubble off and the onions cook until they are golden and sweet
Wash the spinach and cook in a covered pan with just the water left clinging to it, about 4 minutes over a medium heat, until wilted
Drain in a colander and leave to cool
Line the pastry case with parchment paper, fill with baking beans and blind-bake on the preheated tray for 15 minutes
Remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 7-10 minutes
Remove from the oven and use any leftover raw pastry to patch any cracks
Squeeze the excess moisture out of the spinach, chop roughly, season and add to the onions
Mix the eggs, yolks, cream and mustard and season well
Spread the onion and spinach in the tart case, sprinkle on the cheese and pour on the cream mixture
Put back into the oven, on the baking sheet, for 30 minutes, until set in the middle and golden
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving

Spinach, cheese and onion tart ingredients

Keyword cheese,, onion, pastry, spinach, tart

Cakes & Bakes: Honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart

We have some friends that live nearby who are having their kitchen renovated. For the next few weeks, all they’ll have to cook on is a single-burner camping stove.

We’ve been in the exact same position in the past – it’s such a drag! We invited them round to ours for dinner tonight so we thought we’d cook them something that they can’t currently make at home.

Justin’s making the main course – chicken breasts filled with a fennel, pastrami and chicken mousse with a spinach and pine nut lasagne – and I’m making the dessert.

In keeping with the loosely Mediterranean theme, I’ve cooked a honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart. You can buy ready-made shortcrust pastry to make the base, but it’s really easy to make yourself at home – a simple 2-minute job… honest!

I’ve not made this tart before – I hope it’s a hit with everyone tonight!

Honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart

BBC Good Food Magazine

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Cook Time 1 15

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Ingredients

500g/18oz pack shortcrust pastry at room temperature or make your own
4 ripe fresh figs stalks trimmed
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs clear honey
100 g/3½oz softened butter
100 g/3½oz golden caster sugar
100 g3½oz ground almonds
1 medium egg yolk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6
Grease a shallow, loose-bottomed 20cm flan tin
Roll out the pastry on a lightly-floured work surface
Line the tin, carefully pushing it into the base & sides and making sure the pastry comes above the rim. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
In the meantime, halve the figs lengthways and put them cut side up on a roasting tray
In a small measuring jug, combine the lemon juice and honey before pouring the liquid over the figs
Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes until just soft
Drain off the juice (if any) and reserve
Remove the pastry case from the fridge and prick the base all over with a fork, line with a circle of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes
Remove the paper & beans and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the pastry is golden
Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas mark 2 Leave the pastry case to cool slightly before filling
In a food processor or using an electric beater, cream the butter and sugar until smooth & pale
Add the ground almonds and whiz briefly to combine
Add the egg yolk and 1 tbsp of the reserved fig juice and whiz again until smooth
Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the marzipan evenly over the pastry case base
Gently press the figs, cut side up, into the almond mixture
Bake for 1¼ hours or until the top turns golden all over
Leave in the tin for 15 minutes before removing sides and transfer to a wire rack to cool
Serve cool or cold with crème fraîche or clotted cream

Keyword figs, fruit tart, marzipan, tart

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: tart

Cakes & Bakes: Rhubarb and custard tart

Rhubarb and custard tart

Ingredients

For the pastry base

For the custard

Instructions

For the pastry base

For the custard

Cakes & Bakes : French pear tart

French pear tart

Ingredients

For the pastry

For the pears

For the filling

Instructions

For the pastry

For the pears

For the filling

To combine

Cakes & Bakes: Spinach, cheese & onion tart

Spinach, cheese & onion tart

Ingredients

For the pastry

For the filling

Instructions

For the pastry

For the filling

Cakes & Bakes: Honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart

Honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart

Ingredients

Instructions