Rhubarb and almond tart

I am not going to lie to you – while this tart is one of the most delicious things on the planet to eat, it is a chore to make. However long you allocate to making it, ensure you factor in about 20 minutes to clean all the kitchen surfaces as the rhubarb spits everywhere. In fact, my first tip is to wear dark colours when making this; my second tip is to move anything of value or preciousness out of the way of the hob (including David Tennant calendars – luckily I remembered just in time, phew) – a few feet radius should be taken for the safety zone as this really does spit! Anything that’s left should be covered with kitchen paper, including the floor. Just in case you think I’m joking:


The mix bubbles so much it’s like being one of the three witches in Macbeth stirring a cauldron! Look at the heat distortion in this picture:


I have mentioned the CCM (Caked Crusader’s Ma) on this site several times. Today the spotlight is on the CCD (Caked Crusader’s Da) as he grew the magnificent rhubarb for this recipe:


Admittedly I’ve probably done a pretty good job of it, but I really don’t want to deter you from making this because it is heavenly. The combination of tart rhubarb with the slightly bitter, nutty amaretti biscuits with sweet cream and pastry is so magnificent you’ll wonder why you’ve not had it before. Just be aware that it’s not a “put it in the oven and forget about it until the timer sounds” recipe.

Here is the pastry case with the almond butter layer, you bake them together and they fuse into one:


I like this shot of the cut tart as you can clearly see all the levels of flavour: pastry, almond butter, rhubarb, and cream. Yum, yum, yum!


This forkful is mine all mine!


Ingredients:
For the pastry:
60g unsalted butter
60 golden caster sugar
½ egg
125g plain flour
15g ground almonds

For the rhubarb filling:
1kg rhubarb, cut into 3cm long pieces
150g golden caster sugar

For the almond butter:
100g amaretti biscuits
40g unsalted butter
1 egg

For the topping:
200ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
30g icing sugar
50g flaked almonds

How to make:

- Make the pastry by creaming together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and add the flour and almonds. Form the dough into a ball then wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. It is quite a sticky dough.
- Place the chopped rhubarb and sugar in a pan and add 5 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the rhubarb collapses.
- Remove the lid and cook (on a low-medium heat) until the rhubarb is thick with no visible juice. This takes approximately 45 minutes – and here’s the bind; you can’t go off and leave it. The mix needs frequent stirring and will bubble and spit for virtually the whole time.
- Transfer the rhubarb to a bowl and leave to cool.
- Now make the almond butter. Crush the amaretti biscuits until they resemble fine crumbs. Do this either in a food processor or using a bag and rolling pin approach.
- Beat the butter and egg into the biscuit crumbs until thoroughly combined. You will have a dark, gritty, quite runny mix.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
- Grease a 23cm round loose bottomed flan/tart tin.
- Roll out the pastry. This is one of the few pastries that I recommend rolling out on floured greaseproof paper. Without the flour it will stick and fall apart. Roll it out thinly and then line the tin. Don’t worry if it tears as you can patch it up.
- Gently spread the almond butter over the base of the pastry and bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden. Don’t worry if the almond butter has puffed up in the oven, it will sink as it cools.
- When the pastry is cool, spread the rhubarb puree evenly over the almond butter. If you are making this a day ahead it is at this point that you can refrigerate it, saving putting the cream on until the day you will be serving it.
- Whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla until it holds a peak (but not too stiff) and spread over the rhubarb.
- Scatter flaked almonds over the top.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.

Mini baked vanilla cheesecakes

Regular visitors to my site will know that the discovery of the ‘perfect cheesecake’ is an ongoing goal of mine. My last cheesecake was a chilled one so I thought I’d try a baked one this time.

The base is the standard crushed biscuit and butter combination:


I’d never made a cheesecake with the layer of sweetened sour cream on the top and found it most pleasing! Here they are fresh from the oven:


I topped the cheesecake with fresh raspberries but you could leave them plain or use a fruit coulis of some sort. They are on the bottom layer of the stand, bakewells are on the top:


Both the flavour and texture was getting near the “perfect cheesecake” quest. I also like the idea of them being individual – very cute.


Here’s the obligatory action shot!


Ingredients:
For the cakes:
100g digestive biscuits, crushed
30g unsalted butter, melted
300g cream cheese
60g caster sugar
2 eggs
1-2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

For the topping:
142ml soured cream
30g caster sugar

Can top with fresh raspberries if desired

How to make:

- Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan oven 140°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.
- Line a 12 hole patty tin with paper cases.
- Mix the crushed biscuits and melted butter and spoon into the paper cases. Press down firmly so there are no gaps in the bases.
- Beat the cream cheese to soften it, then beat in the sugar, eggs and vanilla.
- Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for approximately 20 minutes or, until the centre feels set when you lightly press it.
- Meanwhile, make the topping by mixing the soured cream and sugar together.
- When the cheesecakes feel set, pour the soured cream topping over them and bake for a further 15 minutes until set.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
- Refrigerate until required. If you are using thin paper cases i.e. not rigid ones, keep them in the patty tin so that they hold their shape.
- Top with fresh raspberries if desired.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.

Scones

In my world, no better vehicle than the scone has been invented for conveying vast amounts of cream and jam into one’s mouth. Hugely filling but somehow dainty looking, the scone is the pinnacle of any tea.

This is a great recipe and works just as well with or without the sultanas. My ten year old nephew (The Boy Wonder) made these with minimal supervision and you can see from the picture just how beautifully they came out:


Here they are in a basket waiting to be creamed and jammed:


Some people get quite het up about whether the jam or cream should go on first. Personally, I like the jam to go on first and then pile on the clotted cream:


The Boy Wonder did a magnificent job!


Ingredients:
450g self raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
100g unsalted butter
225ml whole milk
1 egg, beaten
75g caster sugar
75g sultanas (optional)

Serve with clotted cream and strawberry jam

How to make:

- Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan oven 200°C/425°F/Gas mark 7.
- Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Stir in the sugar, and the sultanas if you are using them.
- Mix the milk and egg together and pour approximately two-thirds into the flour mix.
- Using a knife bring the dough together, adding more liquid if required. You’re aiming for a loosish ball of dough i.e. not a smooth pastry type dough.
- Using your hands bring the dough together into a ball.
- Roll out the dough between two pieces of greaseproof paper until it’s about 2cm thick.
- Using a 6.5cm round cutter, cut the scones out and put onto the baking sheet. You can put them quite close as they expand upwards rather than outwards. We got 14 scones and the dough re-rolls a few times.
- Use the remainder of the milk and egg mix to brush on top of the scones before baking.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until the scones are risen and golden brown.
- Allow to cool on a rack and serve either warm or just cool with clotted cream and jam.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.

What the Caked Crusader chose to bake to this week (5 April 2008)

Born in 1923 with a career that started in the 1950s and is still going strong, it’s a wonder that Bob Dorough isn’t more widely known. The only way I can think of describing him, which will probably only help the British readers, is as a Southern US version of George Melly. A fine (if unusual) singer and supremely talented songwriter his style engages you from the first note; I have a weakness for anyone who doesn’t lose their accent when they sing and the Arkansas drawl is always evident!

His 1956 debut album “Devil May Care” is the album I’d recommend starting with as the selection of songs is dazzling: Old Devil Moon, It Could Happen to You, I had the Craziest Dream are the opening three!

His later albums are more of a mixed bag and, much like Tom Waits, his voice is unrecognisable to the earlier recordings. That’s not to say there isn’t gold contained on them, a particular favourite of mine being the song “There’s Never been a Day”.