RecipesDesserts And Puddings

Rhubarb and strawberry galette with rose crème pâtissière Recipe

A delicious summery tart of strawberry and rhubarb from Henrietta Inman's cookbook The Natural Baker.

Rhubarb and strawberry galette with rose crème pâtissière Recipe
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Ingredients

For the Pastry
  • 125g wholegrain spelt flour
  • 50g white spelt flour, plus more to dust
  • a pinch sea salt flakes
  • 1/2 finely grated zest unwaxed lemon
  • 2 tsp light brown muscovado or coconut sugar
  • 115g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 60g crème fraîche
For the crème pâtissière
  • 250g whole milk
  • 1/4 vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways, seeds scraped out
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 50g runny honey
  • 12.5g cornflour
  • 1 tsp rose water
For the crumble
  • 20g ground almonds
  • 20g whole blanched almonds, or whole almonds with skins
  • 20g light brown muscovado or coconut sugar
For the filling
  • 300g rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 400g strawberries, hulled
  • 4 tbsp golden caster, light brown muscovado or coconut sugar

“The combination of strawberry and rhubarb is one of my favourites, using garden rhubarb rather than forced, that carries on into summer and the strawberry season. It’s the fruits’ beautiful pink hues and their flavours – at once sharp and sweet – that I adore. With a creamy, fragrant rose custard and the crunch of the spelt crust, there are many textures and flavours in this free-form tart, but they merge brilliantly.”

The Natural Baker by Henrietta Inman. Published by Jacqui Small, an imprint of The Quarto Group (£20). Out now.

Serves 10

Method

01
Start by making the pastry. In the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with a paddle, weigh out the flours with the salt, lemon zest and sugar. Process to disperse the ingredients. Add the butter cubes and mix until crumbs form.
02
Add the crème fraîche and mix until just combined. Bring the mix together in your hands to form a ball. Roll into a circle between 2 pieces of baking parchment, flouring the bottom piece and the top of the pastry, as the dough is a little sticky, until 3mm (⅛in) thick and about 28cm (11in) in diameter. Rest in the fridge between the 2 pieces of baking parchment for 30 minutes.
03
For the crème pâtissière, pour the milk into a saucepan, add the vanilla seeds and pod and bring to the boil. Mix together the egg yolks, honey and cornflour in a bowl, then pour the hot milk over, whisking all the time.
04
Return the mixture to the saucepan and place over a low heat, whisking until thick and just beginning to bubble. Add the rose water, whisk in, taste and add more if you want. Remove from the heat and transfer to a clean bowl to cool, whisking now and again to help the cooling process. When it has cooled a little, press cling film (plastic wrap) directly on to the surface, then chill.
05
Make the crumble by placing everything in a food processor. Process until fine, but still with some texture from the whole almonds.
06
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Take the pastry out of the fridge and remove the top piece of parchment. Cover it with the crumble, leaving a 4cm (1.in) rim. Spread over the creme patissiere, then top with the rhubarb and 300g (10.oz / 2 cups) of the strawberries. Carefully roll the edges of the pastry over the filling, pressing them in to keep them secure.
07
Sprinkle the fruit with 2 tbsp of the sugar. Bake for 15 minutes.
08
Remove from the oven, add the remaining strawberries, filling any gaps, and 1 tbsp more sugar, sprinkling it over the fruit. Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, the cream is bubbling and the rhubarb is soft. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and serve warm. It’s delicious with vanilla ice cream, yogurt or cream.
09
Keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. The raw pastry can be frozen for up to 1 month.