Rhubarb Frangipane Tart

I am by no means a rhubarb fan, very far from it in fact. Despite this, we have an abundance of the stuff growing in the garden, and as I hate to see good produce go to waste, I was determined to find a  way of cooking rhubarb that made it delicious. This frangipane tart is just the thing, with the crisp, buttery pastry and sweet rhubarb syrup balancing out the notoriously sour and acidic fruit perfectly. The recipe comes from a new book I recently received as a gift, 'What Katie Ate', written by graphic designer turned food photographer and blogger, Katie Quinn Davies. Although I have only tried out a couple of recipes from the book so far, I would highly recommend it to all foodies or budding food-bloggers. The book is packed with a series of imaginative yet accessible recipes, all accompanied by beautiful photographs of immaculately styled food - very inspirational! 

To serve 6-8 people you will need...

1 large bunch rhubarb cut into 10cm lengths

4 tbsp caster sugar

500ml water

1 sheet pre-rolled puff pastry

1 egg

Frangipane filling:

75g butter

60g caster sugar

125g ground almonds

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

You will need to...

- Preheat oven to 200C

- Make frangipane by beating all five ingredients ingredients together with hand-held beaters. Leave to chill in fridge until required.

- Place rhubarb in a large saucepan, add the caster sugar and water and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 2 mins or until rhubarb is tender but NOT falling apart. Once cooked, transfer to a plate to cool using a slotted spoon.

- Simmer the cooking liquid over a medium-high heat for 7ish mins until syrupy and deep pink in colour. 

- Place the puff pastry sheet on a large greased baking tray. Score a 1.5cm border on all sides without cutting through fully, and prick the middle all over with a fork, avoiding the border.

- Spread/press the frangipane over the pastry, again avoiding the border, either with a palette knife or your fingers if it's easier.

- Lay the rhubarb lengths over the frangipane in two rows. Brush rhubarb with the thick rhubarb syrup.

- Brush the pastry border with the beaten egg, then bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the edges are golden. 

- Serve hot or cold with whipped cream flavoured with vanilla paste/sugar. 

Enjoy! C x