Deliciously sweet-tart rhubarb curd in a buttery tart crust, topped with rosewater meringues. Rhubarb Curd recipe is from The View From Great Island, tart crust is from Dorie Greenspan's book Everyday Dorie.
Prep Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr45 minutesmins
Cooling Time8 hourshrs
Total Time11 hourshrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Rhubarb Curd, Rhubarb Curd Tart, Rhubarb Curd Tart With Rosewater Meringues, Rosewater Meringues
Servings: 12small slices
Equipment
9-inch tart pan
Food Processor
Rolling Pin
parchment paper
large saucepan
fine mesh sieve
whisk
stand mixer or hand mixer (for the meringues)
Ingredients
Tart Crust
1 1/2cflour
1/2cpowdered sugar
1/4tspsalt
9Tvery cold butter, cut into small pieces(1 stick + 1 T)
1large egg yolklightly whisked
Rhubarb Curd
13ozrhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces(a little over 3 cups)
1/4cwater
1cgranulated sugar
juice of 1 lemon(about 2T)
4large eggs,whisked well
2Tbutter,softened to room temp
1-2dropsred food coloring*optional
dried rose petals for decorationoptional
Rosewater Meringues**
3egg whites, room temperature
1/2tspcream of tartar
1cgranulated sugar
1/2tspcorn starch
1/8tspbaking powder
1/2tsprosewater
Instructions
Tart Crust
In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, powdered sugar, and salt and pulse just until combined. Add the pieces of cold butter and pulse until the butter is in coarse pieces about the size of large peas.
Add the egg yolk in three batches, pulsing after each addition. Once all of the egg yolk is in, process for 10-15 seconds at a time until the dough starts to clump. At this point the dough should hold together when you squeeze a little between your fingers.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather into a ball. Press into a flat disk, then place between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the dough out into a rough circle about 1/4" thick and about 11" in diameter. (If the dough is getting warm, place it on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 30 min-1 hr, then let it sit at room temp just until it's pliable before you proceed...if it's still cold, continue to the next step).
Remove the parchment paper and fit the dough into the tart pan, pressing it gently to fit into the corners. Trim extra dough from the edges, using it to fill any cracks or holes in the crust. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Pop the crust into the freezer for 30 min - 1 hour. At this point, you can wrap the crust and keep it frozen until you're ready to bake it, or up to 2 months.
Make sure your oven rack is in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Place a sheet of aluminum foil inside the tart crust, shiny side down, letting it hang over the edges of the tart pan. Press gently to fit the foil into the edges of the crust. Fill the foil with dried beans, uncooked rice, sugar, or pie weights, filling it all the way to the top of the crust.
Bake the crust for 25 minutes. Remove the foil & filler, and if the crust is puffing up, gently press it down with a spoon or spatula. Bake for another 7-10 minutes or until it is firm and nicely browned. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Rhubarb Curd
Place rhubarb and water into the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Pour mixture through a mesh strainer, using a wooden spoon to push as much juice out of the pulp as possible. Discard the pulp and measure your juice - you'll need 1 cup of juice.
Put juice into a large saucepan with granulated sugar, lemon juice, and eggs, whisking until well-combined. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring/whisking constantly. At this point you can add your red food coloring or ground dehydrated berries (see note). Mix well.
Once the mixture comes to a simmer, it should start to thicken. Continue simmering and stirring until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It may still seem thin at this point, but it will continue to thicken as it cools.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the softened butter a bit at a time, allowing each piece to melt before adding more. Once all of the butter is added, pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer to strain out any bits of cooked egg.
Pour the rhubarb curd into your baked crust and let it cool completely at room temperature. Once it's cool, place it in the refrigerator to chill overnight. You can leave it uncovered or cover it with a cake dome if you have one.
Rosewater Meringues
Preheat oven to 275°F, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix together sugar, cornstarch, and baking powder, and set aside.
Add egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large bowl if you're using a hand mixer). Whip at medium-high speed until frothy, then add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form — for a total of about 3 minutes of mixing.
Begin adding sugar mixture 1 T at a time, continuing to beat at medium-high speed. Then add rosewater and beat another 2-3 minutes, or until you have glossy, stiff peaks.
Spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (I used Ateco #808) and pipe onto prepared cookie sheets. Make sure meringues are all about the same size (about 3/4-1 inch diameter), and leave 1 inch between them.
Place meringues in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 250°F. Bake for 50-75 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. When they are done, meringues should be puffed, dry, and some of them may have cracks. (Try to catch them before they begin to brown, but even if they brown a bit they'll still be beautiful and tasty). They should sound hollow if you tap the on the bottom.
Once meringues are done, leave them in the oven with the heat turned off, propping the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Leave the meringues in the oven to cool and dry out for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Decorate Your Tart and Serve!
When you are ready to serve your rhubarb curd tart, top with rosewater meringues and some dried rose petals (if desired). Slice, serve, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. At this point the meringues on top will soften and sort of melt into the tart, so they won't be as pretty (but will still taste delicious).
Notes
*or try 2 tsp ground dehydrated raspberries or strawberries. The food coloring will give the curd a much brighter pink color, but the dehydrated berries result in a lovely mauve pink...either way, you'll have a beautiful tart! **This will make more meringues than you will need to decorate your tart. Serve the remainder alongside the tart, use them to decorate another dessert, or enjoy them on their own! Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, meringues will last several weeks.Not into meringues? Feel free to skip them altogether and decorate your tart with whipped cream instead.