Rhubarb and Strawberry Tart

Rhubarb, Strawberries, Mascarpone, Orange

Today is one of those cold, sunny winter Florida days. When I say winter, I mean 65 degrees. It feels like spring as I knew it growing up, crips mornings, dew on the flowers in the garden... If you read one of my previous posts, you might already know that these are my favorite kind of days. Spring is almost here, Easter around the corner.

The cyclamen is still alive

A few days ago, I read that Julia at Slice of Cherry Pie was hosting the "In the Bag" event. The secret ingredients were rhubarb, orange and sugar. Immediately I started thinking about this tart but then I realized, "wait a minute... will I be able to find any rhubarb anywhere?". I called around but nobody was carrying rhubarb just yet, so I just decided it might be too early for rhubarb on this side of the Atlantic (Julia is in the UK). But yesterday, I went to the store for something else and there it was, bright red rhubarb waiting for me! I ran home and quickly started making my sable breton for the tart, poaching the rhubarb, the mascarpone orange cream... I was in heaven.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Tart

Sable Breton
Makes 20 4-inch circles

160 grams sugar
160 grams salted organic butter
4 organic egg yolks
zest of half an orange
225 grams unbleached all purpose flour
15 grams aluminum free baking powder

In an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar together. Add the egg yolks and the orange zest. Add the flour and baking powder combined until it comes together. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Roll out to about 1/2" thickness and cut 4" circles with a round cutter. Bake the circles in a silicon muffin tray or regular muffin pan that has about 4" circle cavities (you can cut different size circles depending the size of pan you have).

Bake the circles in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden. Let them cool.

Mascarpone Orange Cream

100 grams organic heavy cream
50 grams mascarpone cheese
2 tsp orange zest
20 grams sugar

Whip all ingredients together until stiff peaks form.

Poached Rhubarb

150 grams sugar
150 grams water
200 grams rhubarb stalks

Make a sugar syrup with the water and the sugar by boiling them together. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat and add some of the rhubarb to it. Cook in low heat until poached. Repeat with the rest of the rhubarb. If you are going to refrigerate this, keep it in the syrup until ready to use.

Assemble the Tart

Pipe a small amount of mascarpone cream on the center of the sable breton. Place half strawberries around. Place some poached rhubarb on top of the cream and sprinkle chopped pistachios on top. Glaze the the strawberries with warm apricot jelly.

There will be more strawberries and rhubarb soon... I smell Spring in the air... Thank you for stopping by!