Good Ol' Summertime Rhubarb Custard Dessert With Cookie Crust |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes |
Ready In: 70 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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A delicious cookie crust, a sweet-tart creamy custard loaded with rhubarb, topped with an (optional) amazing meringue. Works with frozen or fresh rhubarb. RHUBARB GROWING HINTS: water freely while it is growing; fearlessly remove the flower buds (they look kind of like white broccoli) before they open-if you don't the plant puts more effort into flowering than in making thick juicy stalks-can't have that!; harvest stalks throughout summer, then discontinue plucking spears in early August; snap off or cut stems at the base (right above the ground); rhubarb leaves are a GREAT mulch around the rhubarb bed, to keep the weeds down. Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened |
1 1/2 cups white flour |
1/2 cup whole wheat flour |
1 cup brown sugar, packed |
8 cups diced rhubarb (one long, thick stalk will generally yield about one cup of 'barb) |
6 egg yolks (whites are used in the meringue) |
1 1/2 cups sugar |
1/4 teaspoon salt |
1/2 cup milk or 1/2 cup cream |
1/2 cup flour |
6 egg whites |
1/4 cup sugar (2 tsp at a time) |
1/4 teaspoon salt |
1 teaspoon vanilla |
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350; butter a 13x9 pan.
2. Cream butter with flours and sugar, spread in prepared pan, pressing into corners and bottom; bake for 5-10 minutes (it will get bubbly-sort of).
3. While that is cooking, cut up the rhubarb.
4. In a blender or a mixer bowl, beat eggs until foamy and fluffy, add sugar and continue mixing, then add other ingredients until thick and rich; set aside (rewhip right before pouring into pan with rhubarb).
5. When crust is baked, spread rhubarb pieces evenly (press lightly into crust-lightly!); pour custard over rhubarb; return pan to the oven for 45 minutes (knife poked in middle comes out clean).
6. While THAT is cooking, prepare meringue; beat eggs until forming soft (firm) peaks, adding sugar 2 teaspoons at a time, then salt and vanilla last, mixing until stiff.
7. At end of baking time, remove pan from oven, turn heat up to 425; spread meringue over rhubarb/custard, smooth with a spoon into pretty swirls.
8. Brown for five minutes; set the timer-it can burn very quickly!
9. VARIATIONS: Skip the meringue and use whole eggs in the custard; switch out some of the rhubarb for strawberries or raspberries; use all white flour instead of wholewheat in the crust.
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