Rhubarb Custard Crumble Tart

When I first made it the the UK all those years ago, my 'Auntie' and 'Uncle' in Chester very kindly put me up for two years.  I know!  Can you imagine putting someone up in your home for two whole years!  Amazing people and technically speaking not my true Auntie and Uncle as Auntie Linda and Mum were friends since childhood.  When my Grandparents decided to pick up sticks and move their young family from London to Tasmania Auntie Linda came out with them for two years before returning back to the UK where she then met my Uncle and started a family of their own.  Anyhoo, all those years later I turned up on their doorstep and the rest is pretty much history. 

Auntie Linda, Mum and my second cousin Michele

Now the reason I started telling this story is because it was this period in my life that introduced me to rhubarb - before then it was very definitely relegated to the 'I Don't Like' file.  There used to be a lovely old couple who had a house a few doors along from us when I was little and they had the most amazing veggie patch in their backyard.  I remember being all of 5 years old and Flossie (that would be one half of the lovely old couple) used to force feed me and my brother raw rhubarb straight from the garden, hence it being added to the 'I Don't Like' file.  Anyway, Auntie Linda and Uncle David also had an amazing garden in which they also grew rhubarb.  One night after work Auntie Linda produced the most amazing Rhubarb Crumble for dessert and since then I was hooked.

Rhubarb Custard Crumble Tart
3 egg yolks
135g caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp cornflour
300ml double cream
2 vanilla pods, split lengthways, seeds scraped and reserved
500g rhubarb, cut into 4cm lengths
Knob of butter
For the Shortcrust Pastry
280g plain flour, plus extra to dust
60g custard powder
200g chilled butter, cubed
4 tbsp caster sugar
2 large free-range egg yolks
For the crumble topping
170g plain flour
110g chilled butter, cubed
55g light muscovado sugar

For the pastry, put the flour in a blender with the custard powder and a good pinch of salt. Whizz briefly, then add the butter. Pulse until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Transfer to a big bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the egg yolks and 3-4 tbsp ice-cold water. Quickly mix together, then shape into a flat disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/ gas 6 and pop a baking sheet inside to heat up. For the crumble, put the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl, add the butter and rub together with your fingers until the mix resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, then scatter over a shallow baking tray. Set aside.

Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface and use to line a 21cm, loose-bottomed, fluted tart tin that’s 3.5cm deep. Trim any excess pastry and prick the base all over with a fork. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes on the hot baking sheet. Remove the paper and beans/rice, and bake for 5 minutes more until the pastry is crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside. Leave the oven on.

Make the custard filling. Mix the eggs and egg yolks, 60g of the caster sugar, orange zest and cornflour together in a bowl. Put the cream, 1 split vanilla pod and seeds in a pan over a medium heat and bring almost to the boil. Slowly strain the hot cream over the egg mixture, stirring. Pour back into the cleaned pan and return to the hob. Heat gently, stirring, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour into a jug, then cover the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming. Cool and chill.

Place the rhubarb in a bowl, stir in the remaining 75g caster sugar and the seeds from the remaining vanilla pod, scatter over a shallow baking tray, dot with butter, drizzle with 1 tbsp water and add the vanilla pod. Roast for 15 minutes. Put a colander over a bowl, then pour the rhubarb into the colander, discarding the vanilla pod. Reserve the juices and allow the rhubarb to cool a little.

Pour the custard into the pastry case, then top with the rhubarb, poking it under the custard a little. Bake on the baking sheet for 12-15 minutes until the custard is just set. Put the crumble topping in the oven at the same time, shaking its tray occasionally, cooking for the same amount of time until crunchy and golden. Remove both from the oven. Carefully remove the tart from the tin. Scatter with the crumble and some of the reserved rhubarb juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.
 

 
Serves 6-8
Delicious Website
 

This is one of those recipes that is best made at the weekend, wish I had read through the recipe fully to understand that for myself before I started on Wednesday night!  The only thing I would maybe change was the custard, Hubby said it tasted quite eggy whereas I thought the orange overpowered the flavour of the vanilla ... and the texture was maybe a bit eggy.  Other than that its pretty yummy and would make a great finish to a family barbecue.

 

Mince Pies and Mulled Cider for Christmas Eve

It was the night before Christmas and all through the house wafted the warm scent of cider mixed with vanilla and anise ... OK OK, poetry is not my forte!

Today has been spent in the kitchen getting a head start on tomorrow's feast. I'm sure I'll be very thankful tomorrow but right now I'm exhausted! But I just wanted to share with you some of today's adventures in the kitchen.

Jamie Oliver's Filo and Puff Pastry Mince Pies - My Way!
1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
1 packet filo pastry
Home made mincemeat (I used the Apple, Cherry and Hazelnut mincemeat for this)
Melted butter
Icing Sugar, for dusting

Heat the oven to 180C.

Roll puff pastry to roughly 3mm thick. Cover with a thin ish layer of mincemeat and then roll the pastry up along the long edge, swiss roll style. Trim the edges and then slice the roll into approx 2cm wide slices.

Use melted butter to layer 3-4 sheets of filo together. Use to line a shallow bun tin. Sit a slice of the puff pastry and mincemeat mixture into each bun cavity and then brush more melted butter around the edges of the filo.

Bake for 20 to 25 mins. When you are ready to eat these simply snap the filo sheets into mince pie portions and dust with icing sugar.

Makes 21

If you'd like to see Jamie's original recipe then head over to Ruth's blog for the full ingredient list and instructions.

And if you're not quite fed up with Mince Pies just yet then please try the next recipe - this afternoon was the first time I've ever made them but I've decided this is the best ever Mince Pie recipe, especially for the Vanilla and Rhubarb Mincemeat.

Mincemeat Custard Pies
300g ready made custard
375g ready rolled puff pastry
Homemade Mincemeat (Vanilla and Rhubarb - mmmm)
Icing Sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C. Unroll the pastry, then cut out circles using a 7cm plain round cutter. Gather up the pastry trimmings, re-roll, then cut out more circles. You should get 16-18. Use to line a couple of bun tins.

Spoon a heaped tsp of the custard mix into each tart case, then top with a scant tsp of mincemeat. Bake for about 10 mins until puffy and golden. Cool briefly in the tin, then dust with icing sugar and serve slightly warm.

Makes 16-18 pies
Adapted from BBC Good Food Website

And the last recipe was made for my Hubby to welcome him home on Christmas Eve ;0)

Mulled Cider
2 litres good quality traditional cider (scrumpy)
6 cloves
3 star anise
1/4 nutmeg finely grated into the pan
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla pod, halved
juice of 1 orange
juice of 2 clementines
juice and seeds of 1 pomegranate
4-5 tbsp caster sugar (I've not added any)

Pour the cider into a large pan on a low heat and let it warm through for a few mins. Add all the spices and juices and turn the heat up. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and leave to tick away for 5-8 mins. Taste and add sugar as you like - you don't want it sweet. Ladle into glasses or mugs and serve while warm.

Serves 15
Jamie Oliver Magazine - Dec 09 /Jan 10

Rhubarb, Vanilla and Custard Mince Pies ~ Chocolate Teapot Style

Was it just me or was the rhubarb crop this year a little on the poor side?  As a result, I was resigned to the idea of a Christmas without Rhubarb and Vanilla Mincemeat.  A week before Christmas this concept became too much for me to handle so I resorted to buying some frozen rhubarb ... and I don't feel guilty about it at all ;0)

On Friday afternoon I whipped up a batch of regular sized Rhubarb, Vanilla and Custard Mince Pies.  We were happily munching our way through them when I got to thinking ... if I made these in a muffin pan ... more custard ... more Rhubarb and Vanilla Mincemeat ... I had to try it!

And here they are.  To make them I used my regular sweet shortcrust pastry to line 9 cups from a muffin
 pan.  Then I dolloped in 1-2 tablespoons of custard (I used a ready made variety) and topped this with a teaspoon or two of the mincemeat.  All this was completed with a pastry lid, gingerbread man shape optional and then baked them for 10-15 mins in a 200C oven.

These guys have pretty much spoiled me for life now, no other mince pie will ever compare!!