[hamstergbert]

Generated this recipe myself over the weekend, partly as a way to use some of the fairly thin sticks of rhubarb that were starting to hide the path and partly because it has been some time since I have been in the right mood for baking and I thought this would be a good , indulgent, waistline threatening 'snap out of it' dish.

Not difficult and utterly delicious - a symphony of contrasts from the sour tang of the rhubarb to the sweetness of the syrup, the warmth of the ginger and the richness of the almonds...    I had it cooled with a bit of whipped cream but reckon it would be just as nice with ice cream or even hot with custard.  Could of course use bought in pastry rather than making it.

Rhubarb Bakewell Tart

Use a 23 cm loose bottom pie/flan dish

Sweet shortcrust pastry

200g   plain flour
120g   cubed chilled unsalted butter
2   tbsp caster sugar
1   egg, beaten

Rub in flour, butter with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs then combine the sugar also.  Gradually stir in the beaten egg and use your hands to form a ball.

Or mix the butter, flour and sugar and zap it in a food processor then with the mixer running, slowly trickle in the beaten egg and blend until it forms a ball. 

Roll out and line the greased pie dish then let it rest in the fridge for 20 mins or so.
Line the base with a disc of greaseproof and fill with baking beads or dried beans.   
Bake for about 10 mins at c170C then tip out the beads, remove the greaseproof disc and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes, making sure the pastry doesn't brown too much.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.


Bakewell filling

750gm    Rhubarb (see note 1. below)
90g      unsalted butter – soften slightly in the microwave for 20 secs max
90g      golden caster sugar
1-2 tbsp   golden caster sugar for the rhubarb
2      med/large eggs
40g      Self Raising flour
2-3 tbsp    golden syrup (see note 2. below)
70g      ground almonds
1 tsp       ground ginger
1 tsp      vanilla essence
1 tbsp      cooking brandy (optional)

Cut the rhubarb into 1-2 cm chunks and sprinkle a little sugar on top, and allow to rest for half an hour or so.

Retain a few chunks of the reddest rhubarb to go on the top.

Spread the golden syrup evenly on the base of the baked pastry case, drain the rhubarb and spread evenly on top of the syrup.

Lightly sprinkle the ground ginger on top of the rhubarb.

Beat the softened butter and sugar until creamy then gradually whisk in the beaten eggs and vanilla essence. 
Sift in the flour and stir in lightly together with the ground almonds.  Do not over-mix.

Dribble the brandy (if using) on top of the rhubarb then immediately pour the mix on top and smooth off as best you can.  Sprinkle the retained red rhubarb chunks onto the top, pushing them lightly part way into the almond gunge.

Bake at 170-180C for 35 mins. until risen and golden brown.  Keep an eye on it and if it looks to be getting overdone cover with kitchen foil for the last ten minutes.

Allow to cool slightly then carefully ease out from the flan case/pie dish.

Serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, custard or just on its own.

NOTES

1.   Best to use thin rhubarb – sticks no thicker than my thumb and seeing as I have lots just now I only used the reddest two thirds of each stick.  This dish probably works best on in season rhubarb rather than the more delicate early season forced stuff.

   If using a mixture of thicknesses set aside the reddest thin pieces as topping bits, for the look of it.

2.   Helps to warm the golden syrup slightly first – it pours and spreads more easily.

3.   The rhubarb surrenders liquid in cooking so if not using the entire dish at once, do not be worried that sweet rhubarb syrup appears where the removed slices are!

[mumofstig]

that sounds delish 

[hamstergbert]

how it looks (ish)

[LilacSandy]

That looks yum,  I wonder if it would work with my gooseberry thinnings.

[Lardman]

Is it wrong that I want to lick the monitor ?   

[hamstergbert]

That looks yum,  I wonder if it would work with my gooseberry thinnings.

Give it a go - but with anything that is much less sour than rhubarb for the 'fruit' component I reckon a smear of jam would be better than the syrup under the fruit.  Also you might consider something else instead of the ginger which seemed particularly suited to the rhubarb.  Never really thought about what spice would go well with gooseberries.  Certainly ginger with rhubarb and cinnamon with apples.   Perhaps a little ground nutmeg or even ground cloves VERY sparingly? 

If you do try a goosegogs version though - write down what you actually do and add it to the recipes (with photo) - thats the rules!

[cheshirecheese]

That looks yum,  I wonder if it would work with my gooseberry thinnings.

The rhubarb version sounds lovely HamstergBert - I sometimes make a cherry bakewell with lovely dark cherries - they seem to have a real affinity with the almonds in the mix (a bit like an anglicised clafouti).  As for gooseberries, I luuurv gooseberries!     I'm not sure they necessarily need any spices with them but if you do add some I'd do it sparingly so as not to interfere with their lovely fragrant flavour 

[hamstergbert]

actually a confession to make - when I was writing down what I did I put the ground ginger as a teaspoonful.  In reality I simply sprinkled a little over the rhubarb until it 'felt' right.  No idea whether it was actually a teaspoonful, half, two or whatever.  High probability that it was less than a full teaspoonful if I'm honest.

For the more gentle tastes I'd say certainly being very, very sparing is necessary if the spice is to do the desired enhancement rather than simply overpowering the fruit flavours.  Rhubarb is enough of a roughneck to be able to handle a little competition.

[hamstergbert]

Last weekend tried a variation using 300gm blueberries.  Left out the golden syrup, extra sugar and ginger, just washed the blues and put a layer of them into my blind baked pastry, grated some fresh nutmeg over them before chucking the gunge over and spotting with a few spare blues.

Melt in the mouth gorgeous, including next day in the sunshine with a nice cup of coffee!

[Mrs Bee]

My overly large waist line is expanding just looking at the pics.

I have done similar with the gooseberries.

Didn't use spices. Just simmered them gently in some elderflower cordial and served with elderflower icecream or sometimes whipped cream with a splash of elderflower cordial.

[Springlands]

That bakewell looks rather yummy - mmmmmmm.

[hamstergbert]

I have done similar with the gooseberries.

Didn't use spices. Just simmered them gently in some elderflower cordial and served with elderflower icecream or sometimes whipped cream with a splash of elderflower cordial.

Sounds like that might be my next variation to try.....

How long did you give the goosegogs in the cordial?  Not a fruit I have had much experience with in the past so I am not sure I would know when they were going to be about right.  Presumably not so much as to start them breaking down, or do you recommend that they are starting to turn?   Like I say, bit of a goosegog tyro here.

Bet a light sprinkling with white elderflower florets on the top after it has cooled a bit would finish the dish off nicely.  Hmmm, still a few laggard heads around in the hedgerows.

[Mrs Bee]

About 10 minutes on medium. Just simmering until they are tender, but it is not the end of the world if they go over a tad.

It is better for them to be a little soft than hard.

I fish out the goosies and then boil the liquid hard for a few minutes to reduce the liquid and then drizzle that back on the goosies.

[Mrs Bee]

Just had another idea for bakewell tarts. Came to me as I was preparing a crate of apricots for the freezer.

WHat about halved apricots and then stud the top with the blanched apricot kernals.

May have a bash myself.

[chrissie B]

i did a bakewell and put some halfed figs in it the flavours went realy well .
chrissie b