Easy Rhubarb Tart

To make this easy rhubarb tart recipe, start by preparing all the ingredients for the sweet almond shortcrust pastry.

Sweet almond shortcrust pastry: Place the softened butter, cut into pieces, into the stand mixer bowl.

Add the icing sugar...

...and mix these two ingredients together using the paddle attachment, at medium speed.

Once mixed, add the whole egg and incorporate it into the butter and sugar mixture.

It's completely normal for the egg to be a bit difficult to incorporate.

Add the flour, ground almonds, and fine salt...

...and continue mixing until a smooth dough forms, being careful not to overwork it.

This is what the result should look like.

Bring the sweet almond pastry dough together into a ball and flatten it slightly with your fingertips on a sheet of baking paper.

Cover it with a second sheet of baking paper.

Then roll out the dough using a rolling pin to an even thickness of 3mm.

You can use rolling pin guides to ensure an even thickness.

Slide everything onto a perforated baking tray and chill for at least 1 hour to firm up.

Finish: Take the rhubarb stalks and trim both ends.

The rhubarb stalks should be cut to about 30cm long depending on the size of your baking tray. If your tray is 35cm, then cut them to 35cm. The stalks should span the entire width of the tray.

Then slice the rhubarb into 0.5cm thick strips using a mandoline slicer, being careful not to cut your fingers.

Repeat the operation with all the rhubarb stalks. Preferably select the coloured (outer) part of the rhubarb stalks. You'll need to remove the inner part of each stalk.

Arrange the rhubarb strips on a [PROD\:che-plaque-pate-roule-43:baking tray].

As shown in this photo, the length should be adjusted to cover the entire tray. You'll need at least 16 rhubarb strips to decorate the tart.

Sprinkle the rhubarb with caster sugar. Place the tray in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 180°C and bake for about 20 minutes. Cooking time may vary by oven. Check while baking to avoid caramelising the rhubarb. They just need to cook and soften.

Remove the almond pastry from the fridge and take off the top sheet of baking paper. Place the square tart ring on the dough and cut around the inside of the ring to form the tart base.

Remove the excess dough and place the square tart ring on the tart base.

Using a knife and ruler, cut strips about 2cm wide from the remaining almond pastry.

Place these dough strips along the rim of the tart base, pressing them gently against the inside of the tart ring. If you're using a perforated ring, be careful not to press too hard or the dough might seep into the holes, making it hard to remove later.

Line the entire inside edge of the square ring with dough strips.

Then trim the excess dough with a paring knife, cutting from the inside out.

This is what the result should look like. Chill for at least 1 hour before baking (or 15 minutes in the freezer). Once the tart shell is firm, bake in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 170°C for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on your oven.

Almond cream: Prepare all the ingredients.

Place the softened butter in the mixer bowl and add the caster sugar.

Mix these two ingredients with the whisk attachment.

Add the ground almonds...

...and the egg.

Mix until smooth and homogeneous. Be careful not to overwork the cream.

Add the whipping cream...

...and the flour.

Finish mixing with a spatula until you get a smooth almond cream.

Transfer the cream to a piping bag and pipe it into the blind-baked tart shell.

Use a [PROD\:ibi-mini-spatules-noires:mini offset spatula] to spread the almond cream evenly across the tart base.

Bake in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 170°C for about 12 minutes, until lightly golden on the surface as shown. Don't overbake—the almond cream should remain soft for a better texture (otherwise it will be dry).

Once cooled, remove the tart ring.

Rhubarb compote: Mix the gelatin powder with the hydration water (tap or mineral water), and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then peel the rhubarb by pulling off the strings with a knife. Grab the skin at the end of the stalk and pull.

Cut the rhubarb and place it in a saucepan. You'll need 500g of peeled and chopped rhubarb.

Add the caster sugar...

...and the water.

Heat...

...until it comes to a boil. A syrup will quickly form, and the rhubarb will soften and turn into a purée.

Cook the rhubarb purée until the water evaporates. If there's too much water left, the compote won't hold its shape.

You can add a few drops of poppy red liquid food colouring...

...and mix well with a spatula. This is optional and adds a slight tint to the compote.

Add the hydrated gelatin to the hot mixture so it melts. Stir vigorously until fully incorporated.

Once the rhubarb compote is cooked and cooled, pour it over the tart base, directly on top of the almond cream, and smooth it into an even layer.

Finish: Take the pre-cooked and cooled rhubarb strips.

Cut the rhubarb to create a herringbone pattern as shown in the photo. Alternatively, you can simply align the rhubarb strips in parallel across the tart. The decoration is up to you.

Trim the rhubarb pieces with scissors so they line up perfectly with the tart edges.

This is what the final result should look like.

Here is the rhubarb tart ready to enjoy. Keep it chilled until serving. To keep it for longer, I recommend brushing a thin layer of warm neutral mirror glaze over the rhubarb using a pastry brush. Enjoy!