Rhubarb Tart ~ Shortbread Cookie Crust

As summer fruits are still ripening, taste the marvelous, special flavor of Rhubarb in this easy to make (promise!) fruit tart

I have a special place in my heart for Rhubarb… ready to pick now through summer. My grandparents had plentiful rhubarb plants sprawling in their garden, and rhubarb pie was typically served after dinner. This beautiful ruby hued perennial has a flavor that is distinctive, tart and heavenly scented.

Rhubarb’s sourness is flattered by a constellation of other fruits and flavors, but I like to keep it simple, and not overpower with much… so the plant’s essence is forefront. Look for rhubarb at your local farmers market. I bought mine from Joe at Smith’s Acres, Darien CT farmers’ market – a bargain at $3 a pound!

To make the tart – plan ahead. The rhubarb is cooked down with pure cane sugar to make a compote… this can be made a few days ahead! I only add a little orange rind – that’s it, three ingredients. It’s also not overly sweet, just enough sugar to balance the fruit’s tartness.

I like to make the dough when just ready to bake. I have made tarts many ways in my day – the simplest way is to make the dough, divide in 4 even pieces and roll each out into 7″ disk. The disks lay on a parchment lined rimmed pan, filled with the compote, then crimped into little tarts (one tart for two?) Freeze the pan for 1 hour, until firm and cold, and bake in the oven. The easiest method.

Fresh berries can be added on top of the rhubarb compote in the last minutes of baking – they will complement the tart.

The dough will crisp up, the filling will just start to bubble with flavor – an amazing little accomplishment.

The shortbread cookie crust stays firm when cooked, and crumbles like a cookie when cut into… perfection!

These tarts will last for a few days, or freeze them and any day can be a bright, tart day!

Enjoy my favorite tart,
Karen