Rhubarb Tart
Jaws will drop when you serve your guests this gorgeous rhubarb dessert! Â Thin slices of tart, seasonal rhubarb top a sweet almond frangipane filling, nestled into a buttery shortbread crust. Â It’s as delicious as it is beautiful!
For the life of me, I can’t be sure if I thought of this myself or saw it somewhere. Â I swear, I look at so many genius food ideas every day, I can’t even keep it straight!
I do know that last year, Sprinkle Bakes covered a cake in thin ribbons of poached rhubarb and my jaw hit the floor.
I get so excited about rhubarb every year.  I think my family thinks I’m nuts.  But I only just discovered it a few years ago and I feel like I need to make up for all those sad years where there was no rhubarb in my life!
If you’ve never had it, it’s the loveliest pink-y red color, with stalks like celery, but a flavor that reminds me more of a tart apple.  It comes into grocery stores in spring, and if you blink you could easily miss it.  This is why I get a little crazed every year around this time.  Once it’s gone you won’t see it again for a full year.
This past weekend we were in the Hudson River Valley visiting my in-laws.  We hit a farmers market while we were there, and lo and behold they were selling big rhubarb plants in pots.  We snatched one up in a heartbeat, so from now on I know I’ll have rhubarb to play with every spring 😉
Yes, I play with my food.  This tart was an especially fun little project.  I completed it in a couple hours, maybe less, but I’m not even gonna pretend this isn’t fussy.  This is the very definition of fussy food- so if you’ve got zero patience for those kind of shenanigans, it’s probably not for you.  But if you are artsy-fartsy and good with your hands and you just want to floor everyone in the best possible way, give this a go.  I bet you’ll really enjoy it.
Start by slicing the rhubarb stalks, long-ways, on a mandolin slicer.  I think this would work well with a veggie peeler too though.  Make the slices about 1/16-inch thick and then poach them in simmering sugar water for a minute, just until they’re soft enough to work with.  Mine were like very al dente pasta almost.  Then, just lay them out on a sheet of parchment in a lattice pattern.  First, line them up horizontally, tight close together with the sides touching.  Then, flip up every other strip and lay another ribbon cross-wise.  Keep working in this way until the sheet of lattice-woven rhubarb is big enough to cover the whole top of your tart.
The crust is simple enough; you make it in the food processor and it only takes about 20 minutes total active time to mix it up, roll it out, and place it in the tart pan.
I decided to go with a frangipane filling, just for something different.  It’s mostly ground almonds, sugar, eggs, and brown butter, baked in the shell, but  the complex flavor you get from the rum, vanilla bean, and lemon is really nice!  You could also go with a pastry cream filling, as a nut-free option, and I think it would be equally delish!
Once everything’s filled, baked, and cooled, you just flip that rhubarb lattice sheet on top, peel off the parchment, and trim the excess away with kitchen shears.  Brush the leftover poaching liquid on top to give it a shiny pink glaze, and put on your most gracious smile, because lots of oohs and ahs are coming your way!
A few useful tools you may need for this recipe:Â
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Rhubarb Tart
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, (1 stick), cut into cubes
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, (extract can be substituted)
For the Frangipane Filling
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3/4 cups almond meal
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, (extract can be substituted)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Rhubarb Lattice Topping
- 8 -10 stalks fresh rhubarb
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
To make the shortbread crust
- Place the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Combine the egg, cream, and vanilla in a small bowl and add to the flour/butter mixture, while running the machine.
- Continue to process until the dough comes together into a ball.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Roll the dough to a thickness of about 3/16-inch.
- Place it in the tart pan, trimming away any excess.
- Line with foil and ceramic pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden.
To make the frangipane filling
- Place the butter in a small pan and cook over medium heat until nutty-brown. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Place the almond meal, sugar, egg, rum, vanilla, zest, almond extract, and salt in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Mix in the browned butter, and transfer the mixture to the partially baked tart shell.
- Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set.
- Cool completely and top with rhubarb lattice.
To make the rhubarb lattice topping
- Using a mandolin slicer or vegetable peeler, slice the rhubarb long-ways to a thickness of about 1/16-inch.
- Place the water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a bare simmer, and add 4 or 5 slices of rhubarb. Cook until slightly softened, then drain on paper towels. Repeat, until all the rhubarb is cooked. Reserve the remaining syrup.
- Line up slices of cooked rhubarb side-by-side on a sheet of parchment. Fold alternating slices up, and place perpendicular slices over, in a lattice pattern. Repeat until the sheet of lattice is big enough to cover the entire top of the tart.
- Flip the sheet onto the top of the cooled tart, and peel the parchment away. Trim off any overhang with kitchen shears.
- Using a silicone pastry brush, dab the remaining poaching liquid over the lattice to glaze.
HOLY GORGEOUSNESS. Even if you had seen this somewhere else, your spin on it is absolutely stunning. Mercy … Allie, I may or may not be mind blown right now! 🙂 I’m not artsy with food unless I’ve set aside the time specifically for it. Then it’s really fun 🙂 This would be a super awesome project now that school is over! Pinning!
Oh my goodness what a fantastic reaction! Thank you so much Mary Frances! My day is made!
This is the most gorgeous tart ever! I will never stop singing its praises.
You are the best! Thank you!
Allie, this is so beautiful — I’m just blown away by the rhubarb lattice! I’m a huge rhubarb fan and love this!
I am a huge rhubarb fan too and I was so pleased that this came together like I’d hoped it would. Thank you so much Marcie!
This is gorgeous, girl! The lattice work is beautiful, I never would have thought to have done that with rhubarb. I’m so glad it’s finally growing season for it here in Maine, I love the stuff!
I do too Rebecca! It’s almost like it’s not really spring until the rhubarb comes out, lol! Always a little late here in the northeast but better late than never, right?
Oh my, this tart is stunning. I’ve never had rhubarb. I think I was afraid of it for one reason or another. I need to go look for a stalk because this tart is too gorgeous not to make!
Oh yes, try some asap! I have no doubt it will become a favorite! It’s nothing to fear I promise 😉
This is seriously STUNNING, Allie! It’s almost too pretty to eat (almost. I’d totally devour this whole thing. ;)).
Thank you so much Stephanie! I happen to be devouring a slice as I type this 😉 Have a great weekend dear!
Very creative idea Allie! Looks stunning! Love it! Have a great weekend!
Thanks Mira! You too dear!
My jaw dropped when I saw the pics, what a stunning presentation. I ate a lot of rhubarb growing up in England so this is my kind of dessert. Stunning and delicious.
Wow thank you so much Janette! I had heard rhubarb was big in England- I’m not sure why we don’t see more of it in the States. It’s so good! Thank you so much sweetie and happy Friday to you!
That tart is absolutely stunning! It’s *almost* too pretty to eat. What a creative idea, to use strips of rhubarb to make a lattice!
Thank you!! It was so much fun to make!
Allie, this is completely gorgeous! Brilliant idea to arrange the rhubard in long strips in a lattice. Sharing!
Aw thank you so much for sharing Erin! Hope you have a great weekend my friend!
SO gorgeous! I had to pop over after it showed up on my Twitter feed. Pinned!
Thank you! I’m so happy you dropped by and thank you for pinning as well!
Allie, this is amazing! So much detail in this tart and it looks incredible! I think you’ve out done yourself :). You should definitely take the weekend off, you deserve it! 🙂
Haha I plan to! Have a great one and thank you so much!
Wow! Gorgeous tart!
Thank Christina! Have a great weekend chica!
Allie!!!! I can’t even deal with this. It’s stunning. My jaw definitely did drop! Have a fabulous weekend, luv! XO
You too hon! Thanks a bunch! I love that you can’t even deal 😛
Allie, just stunning!!!!! Wishing you and the fam a fabulous Memorial Day weekend!!!!
You too Alice! Enjoy those beautiful little angels of yours and thank you!
Such a pretty pink tart Allie, I adore rhubarb and would LOVE a plant in our garden. For a moment, those little slivers of rhubarb reminded me of seafood sticks, but just for a moment 😉 Laura@ Baking in Pyjamas
Haha really?? That’s too funny! Now you’ve got me thinking about making a savory version lol!
Haha, maybe with a cream cheese filling and a few herbs to go with the fish sticks. You’d be onto a winner
That could actually work!