rhubarb + raspberry tart

Wednesday, June 15, 2011


My stomach is in a giant knot.

My beloved Canucks are playing for the Stanley cup tonight.


It's a best of one series.

Game 7 makes me very nervous.


I expect there to be a lot of wine tonight. Whether the outcome be good or bad.

Please let it be good. Please ? This city needs a good week long party. Not a repeat of 1994.

In other news, I made this tart over the weekend. Fresh, bright and not too sweet, and of course the filling was hot pink. Made with fresh rhubarb, in season right now in pretty much everywhere, and raspberries, which are not really in season here yet, but I got some lovely ones from California. The original recipe calls it to be a crostata, which is similar to a free form pie, but my OCD tendencies took over and I pressed the dough into a tart pan. Much prettier, easier to transport.


If you're looking for the perfect spring BBQ dessert or something to potentially eat your Stanley cup sorrows away in, this is it.

#bringithome.

Rhubarb + Raspberry Tart
[ adapted from Bon Appetit ]


1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1 tablespoon whole milk

filling:
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 cups 1/2-inch thick slices of rhubarb, from about 3 stalks
1 6-ounce container raspberries
1/3 cup white sugar
1 large egg, beaten
raw sugar for sprinkling

For the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, whole flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. Add cubes of chilled butter and pulse until they resemble the size of small peas or very coarse cornmeal. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Add into flour-butter mix and pulse until moist clumps form. Form dough in to a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour and a half.

While the dough chills, in a small bowl dissolve the cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of cold water, set aside. Combine rhubarb, raspberries and sugar in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat until all sugar has been dissolved and all the juices have been released, stirring frequently. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil, mixture will start to thicken but the rhubarb will not soften and slices will still be intact. Transfer to a large bowl and chill in the refrigerator until cool, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, press dough into a 9-inch tart pan or alternatively roll out dough on parchment paper to a 12-inch circle and place parchment on a baking sheet. Brush dough with the egg. pour filling in the center of the dough and spread out to edge if you're using the tart pan, if you're making a crostata leave a 1 1/2-inch border and fold the edges over the filling, then brush the edges with the egg. Sprinkle with raw sugar and bake for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbling.

Let tart cool on a wire rack until room temperature. Serve with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.