Rhubarb Cornmeal Tart

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have all the ingredients at room temperature before you begin.

   Step 2

   Place the rhubarb, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes, until the rhubarb begins to soften. Drain the rhubarb.

   Step 3

   Cream the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes (see Know-how, page 315). Add the egg, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the almonds and cornmeal and add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to form a thick batter. Add the salt and stir to mix.

   Step 4

   Add half the rhubarb to the tart shell and gently spread the batter evenly over the fruit. Top with the remaining rhubarb and bake for 10 minutes.

   Step 5

   Reduce the temperature to 325°F and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and puffy.

   Step 6

   Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the tart pan by carefully lifting the tart from the center of the pan base; the ring should slide right off. Serve warm or at room temperature.

2. Sweet Tart Crust

   Step 7

   Place the flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornmeal, and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse meal; do not overmix.

   Step 8

   Add the egg yolks, the 3 tablespoons ice water, and vanilla and pulse two or three times, just until the dough comes together. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together; do not add so much water that the dough becomes wet or sticky. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with lightly floured hands, form into a flat, round disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, or until the dough is firm enough to roll.

   Step 9

   Check the tart recipe for special rolling instructions. To prepare a basic tart shell, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes. Place on a lightly floured work surface. Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Fold the dough in half or gently roll it onto the rolling pin and lift it over the tart pan. Press the dough lightly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan and trim the excess dough. Prick the bottom of the crust two or three times with a fork to create small holes.

   Step 10

   Cover the crust with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, before proceeding with a tart recipe or partially or fully prebaking the crust (see Know-how, below).

3. Know-how: Preparing a Pie Shell

   Step 11

   Each of the pie and tart recipes in this chapter specifies whether to use an unbaked, partially baked, or prebaked shell.

   Step 12

   If the recipe calls for an unbaked piecrust, simply proceed with the recipe after you have fitted the dough into the pie pan and chilled the shell.

   Step 13

   To prepare a partially baked crust: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare the unbaked shell as directed in the recipe. Line the bottom of the shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with ceramic pie weights, dried beans, or dried coffee beans; this keeps the shell from shrinking as it bakes. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough is no longer translucent but not yet golden-brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

   Step 14

   To prepare a prebaked crust: Prepare a partially baked pie shell, as above, but do not remove from the oven. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights and continue baking for 6 to 8 minutes more, until the crust is golden brown and flaky. Remove from the oven and let cool.