Dessert

Rhubarb and almond tarts

These pretty tarts make a terrific dinner-party dessert or even a stunning finish to a spring picnic for hardy souls.
8
1H
40M
1H 40M

Ingredients

Pastry
Rhubarb filling
Almond filling
Topping

Method

1.Preheat oven to 190°C. To make pastry, place flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a processor and pulse. Add icing sugar and pulse to combine (or rub the butter into the mixture with your fingertips). Add vanilla and yolks and pulse until crumbs form (or mix with a knife).
2.Work mixture lightly with your hands, gently squeezing it into a ball. Place in a plastic bag and chill for 30 minutes.
3.Meanwhile, assemble the fillings. Place rhubarb, ¼ cup sugar, orange juice and raspberries in an ovenproof dish and bake for 15 minutes or until rhubarb is tender but not mushy and there is a pretty pink juice in the dish. Remove from oven and set aside.
4.For the almond filling, use a beater or food processor to cream the butter and sugar. Add zest, ground almonds, egg and flour and pulse to mix.
5.Grease eight small loose-bottom tart tins or a 23cm loose-bottom tart tin. For small tarts, break off a plum-sized lump of dough and, on a lightly floured bench, flatten with your palm.
6.Press into tin, working from the centre out, then trim off excess. For the large tart, roll out dough then use the rolling pin to lift it into the tin. Press pastry together to repair any breaks.
7.Prick pastry bases with a fork then line with baking paper, fill with baking weights and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven.
8.Spoon the almond filling into the prepared pastry cases. Using a slotted spoon, add the cooked rhubarb (reserve the juice). Bake small tarts for 20–25 minutes or until the filling is golden and set. For a large tart, bake for around 35 minutes.
9.Mix sliced almonds with egg white. Five minutes before cooking is complete, drop clumps of almond mixture on top of tarts – they’ll contribute a wonderful crunch. When cooked, remove from oven and cool in tins.
10.If you wish to make the fruit look glossy, gently heat the reserved juices in a small pan and stir in the cornflour-and-water mixture. When thickened, remove from the heat and brush over the fruit. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or cold.

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