Rhubarb Shortbread Crumble Tart

RHUBARB SHORTBREAD CRUMBLE TART

5/20/2022

When we were little, we always knew it was summer when Mom made the first Rhubarb Shortbread Crumble Tart of the season, with a buttery shortbread pastry crust, filled with slightly tart and slightly sweet rhubarb from the garden, and topped with a buttery oatmeal and vanilla crumble topping. This is one of our favorite ways to enjoy the unique flavor of rhubarb. Wonderful recipe, wonderful memories!

Rhubarb Shortbread Crumble Tart

ALL ABOUT RHUBARB:

Rhubarb is a perennial grown locally in the Midwest and is available in the late Spring. If you are not lucky enough to have rhubarb planted and growing in your garden or yard, you can often find it at farmer’s markets or the grocery store.
If you live in a climate where the ground freezes in winter, chances are that you can grow rhubarb! The hardest part is finding rhubarb plants! Rhubarb needs a cold winter where temperatures dip below freezing in order to grow and thrive, and it is considered hardy in zones 3-8.
Because Rhubarb is a perennial, with very little care it will come back year after year – it’s a very tough and hardy plant! Most rhubarb plants need to be dug up and divided after several years for the best plant health. This is also a great opportunity to expand your rhubarb plot or share your plants with family and friends. Once established, rhubarb is a plant that can produce for more than 20 years.
There are many varieties of rhubarb and many shades, from palest green to deep crimson, but the flavor is the same! Your rhubarb sauces, jams and jelly will vary in color depending on your rhubarb, but the flavor and texture is the same!
The stalks are the only edible part of this early spring plant, while the green parts of the leaves are toxic, which is why you never see rhubarb stalks for sale with the leaves attached.
Stalks of rhubarb look similar to celery, but have a strong and very tart taste if eaten raw.
The bright red stalks of early spring rhubarb give this jam its lovely color as well as its tangy flavor. Rhubarb is a favorite for jams, pies and crisps. The season is both early and short – use your first crops for the best results, as the rhubarb stalks will get tough and “woody” as the season goes on. Young and tender stalks are the best!
Although commonly used for desserts, rhubarb is technically a vegetable. We use rhubarb in jams, sauces, pies and fruit bars, but it is also fabulous in savory dishes.
To freeze fresh rhubarb, first wash and dry it. Slice the stalks into 1-inch pieces and lay out on a baking sheets. Place the pans in the freezer for an hour, or until the rhubarb is frozen solid. Transfer to sturdy zip lock freezer bags (I usually measure out 4 cups into gallon sized freezer bags). Frozen rhubarb will last for up to a year.
Fresh rhubarb is best for all recipes, but you can also use frozen – just be sure to add any liquid that released from the frozen rhubarb to your recipe.
Rhubarb is healthy for you – it’s loaded with calcium, lutein, vitamin K and antioxidants.

HOW TO FREEZE RHUBARB:

Rhubarb has such a short growing season - typically from late April thru the end of June, and after that you'll need to wait until next year - unless you freeze some so that you never run out! I like to pull out frozen rhubarb to use in pies for Thanksgiving, as Rhubarb Pie is always a favorite any time of the year, and is a special treat for the holidays!

Pick rhubarb stalks while they are still in season.
Wash the rhubarb in cool water (do not soak) and pat dry.
Trim the ends off. Slice the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces. If your stalks are wide, slice the whole stalk lengthwise, then cut into pieces.
Place the rhubarb slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment or plastic, keeping them in a single layer.
Place the pan into the freezer until the rhubarb is frozen solid, about 30 minutes to an hour.
Put the frozen rhubarb in heavy freezer zip lock bags. Lay the bag flat on the counter, close it most of the way, and then insert a straw into the bag and suck out any remaining air. Zip closed.
Label your bag and use your rhubarb within one year.
You can use the rhubarb frozen in baked recipes, smoothies, and sauces, etc., so skip the thawing if your recipe allows for it!

Rhubarb Shortbread Crumble Tart

FEEDING YOUR RHUBARB OBSESSION:

Rhubarb Shortbread Crumble Tart

RHUBARB SHORTBREAD CRUMBLE TART

Rhubarb Shortbread Crumble Tart

INGREDIENTS:
RHUBARB FILLING:
2 heaping cups (277g) thinly sliced rhubarb
1/4 cup (57g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or substitute pure vanilla extract)
1 tablespoon Instant Clearjel thickener (or substitute cornstarch)

SHORTBREAD CRUST & CRUMBLE TOPPING:
1 cup (227g) unsalted butter (two sticks) at room temperature
2/3 cup (153g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, you can also use extract, or the seeds of a vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (266g) all purpose flour
3 Tbsp (18g) rolled oats (resesrve for crumble topping)

SERVE WITH:
Rhubarb Raspberry Sauce
Fresh Sweetened Whipped Cream

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
9 inch tart pan (with removable bottom)

HOW I MAKE THIS:

Remove butter from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line bottom of 9-inch tart pan with parchment paper (make sure that your tart pan has a removable bottom as well).
Wash rhubarb in cold water, pat dry, trim the ends, and cut into thin 1/3-inch pieces. (RECIPE NOTE: If your rhubarb has thick stalks, slice the whole stalk lengthwise and then chop.)
PREPARE RHUBARB FILLING: In a medium bowl, toss the chopped rhubarb with the sugar, vanilla bean paste (or extract) and Instant Clearjel (or cornstarch) until the rhubarb slices are evenly coated; set aside.
PREPARE SHORTBREAD CRUST: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Beat in the vanilla paste and salt and continue beating until well blended.
Add the flour and mix on low speed, just until there is no dry flour left. DO NOT OVERMIX!
Remove 2/3 of the shortbread dough and pat it into the bottom of the tart pan, being careful to evenly distribute the dough, press firmly into place.
Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes.
PREPARE CRUMBLE TOPPING: Add the rolled oats to the remaining dough, using a fork or your fingers to make a coarse crumble mixture.
ASSEMBLE TART: Remove shortbread crust from the refrigerator and arrange the rhubarb on top. Top evenly with the Crumble Topping – you will not totally cover the rhubarb (this allows the steam from the rhubarb to escape during baking and prevents a soggy topping.
Set the tart pan on a baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the top is just starting to turn pale golden. If the edges are starting to get too dark, you can place a pie crust shield on top for the last few minutes of baking, or lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top for the second half of baking so that it doesn’t brown too much (again, allowing for the steam to release while baking).
Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes before releasing the bottom of the pan from the sides; finish cooling to room temperature.
Cut tart into slices, serve and enjoy! I like to serve this with Rhubarb Raspberry Sauce and sweetened whipped cream on the side; vanilla ice cream is also wonderful on top of warm slices!
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container; best served within 3 days. You can pop individual slices in the microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power to serve warm.

YIELD: 8 servings

RECIPE NOTES:

You can replace fresh rhubarb with frozen rhubarb for this recipe – just make sure it is thawed and drained well.
The color of your rhubarb stalks really does make the world of difference when making rhubarb syrup, sauce and jam, and will vary from year to year depending on the type of rhubarb and crop conditions. Look for fresh and tender stalks that are pink or red all the way thru for the “pinkest” bakes. If you use rhubarb stalks that are pinky-green or light green, you can add a drop or two of red food coloring to get a pretty pink hue.
If you love almond flavor, you can add ½ teaspoon of pure almond extract to the shortbread crust ingredients and ½ teaspoon to the rhubarb filling.
Try adding a cup of fresh raspberries, strawberries (cut into bits) or blueberries to the filling – simply replace 1 cup of rhubarb with 1 cup of the fresh fruit of your choice.
Gluten Free Option: You can substitute a good gluten free baking mix for the flour (I recommend King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill brands).

Original recipe published May 2012; revised and reposted May 2022.

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