Bake/ Berry/ dessert/ Dorie Greenspan/ easy everyday/ spring/ summer

Strawberry & Rhubarb Tart | Everyday Dorie

“They grow together, ripen at about the same time,” Dorie refers to rhubarb and strawberries in Everyday Dorie. When you see the giant stalks of rhubarb and small shiny ruby-like strawberries in farmers markets, the baker in me wants to put them in a tart. Dorie has the perfect recipe for exactly that.

I don’t work with rhubarb often because, or perhaps as a result of, I don’t quite know how to temper the sour edge of it. Seeing Dorie’s first act in macerating the rhubarb in the recipe, I know I’m in good hands.

There’s a lot to like about the recipe, nonetheless I run into some troubles — mostly due to my decision to make a mini version. I overbaked both the rhubarb and the mini tarts. Importantly, it takes some workaround when it comes to decreasing the individual tart size (from 9-inch to 4.5-inch), while not changing the overall recipe amounts. That involves reducing the baking time. Well, guesstimating can be tricky. Is there any hard-and-fast rule other than keeping a watchful eye and the willingness to experiment?

No more fudging in the second round; the best way is to simply follow Dorie’s recipe to bake a 9- to 9-1/2 inch tart as outlined. First, partially bake the sweet tart dough (p.327) at 400°F for 25 minutes and set aside. In the interim, make the cream filling (of heavy cream, sugar, egg and yolk, vanilla and rose extract). Spoon in the drained and macerated rhubarb slices in the tart shell. Then pour the custard over the rhubarb. Add and arrange the halved strawberries on top. Finally, bake the tart for 50 and 60 minutes in a 375°F oven and cover the edges of the crust if necessary.

The second time is the charm. The strawberry and rhubarb tart is a beautiful one — springlike and colorful — big enough to share among friends and visitors. I can get used to and embrace the not-sweet and slightly sour edge of rhubarb and bake a mostly rhubarb tart.