Rustic Rhubarb Tartlets + Summer Baking Giveaway

When you set out to make the kind of adorable tartlets that make people “ooh” and “aah,” but they turn out more like Quasimodo — in pastry crust rhubarb compote form — you have two choices: be embarrassed, or embrace it. I vote for embrace. Call them “rustic” with as much conviction and theatrical disdain as you can muster, and add a knowing eye-roll. Everyone will assume you meant it.

There’s something freeing about labeling imperfections as intentional: my dance moves — rustic. My bedroom floor — rustic. Any and all results from my first year of Ph.D. work — rustic. That ill-fitting two-piece I tried on yesterday and promptly abandoned in favor of making tartlets — definitely rustic. The word covers a lot of ground and makes it easier to laugh at the imperfect, the awkward, and the charmingly deformed.

Fortunately, “rustic” does not mean “undelicious.” These tartlets, adapted from Good to the Grain and inspired by Smitten Kitchen, are proof. The crust is a cornmeal-forward dough made from a mix of corn flour and all-purpose flour that yields a delicate, slightly crunchy texture — think shortbread crossed with a tender tart shell. The rhubarb vanilla compote is the perfect balance of sweet and tart; it transforms the homespun-looking tartlets into something memorable on the palate.

These tarts are forgiving to shape and a joy to eat. If you need a confidence boost, make a batch and call them rustic with pride. If only there were a compote to “de-rustic-ify” my lab results or disguise that bathing suit — life would be perfect. Until then, I’ll continue to embrace my new favorite adjective: rustic.

Rustic Rhubarb Tarts
Makes 10–16, adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Good to the Grain

Ingredients

• 1 cup corn flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp kosher or coarse salt
• 1 stick (4 oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 batch Rhubarb Vanilla Compote (recipe below)

Instructions

1. Combine the corn flour, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Add the heavy cream and egg yolks and pulse just until the dough comes together.
3. Divide the dough into 10 to 16 equal pieces. With the palm of your hand, press each piece into a rough 3–4 inch circle.
4. Spoon about 1 1/2–2 tsp of rhubarb compote into the center of each circle. Fold the edges toward the filling to create a ruffled edge, leaving the center exposed. Transfer the tarts to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the frozen tarts for 25–30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Rhubarb Vanilla Compote

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb rhubarb, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the sliced rhubarb and set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, combine the remaining rhubarb, brown sugar, and vanilla. Cook over medium-low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes until saucy.
2. Remove the cover, raise the heat to medium, and cook another 10–15 minutes until the sauce thickens and leaves a trail when you drag a spoon through it. Stir in the reserved 1 1/2 cups of rhubarb, remove from heat, and let the compote cool in a large bowl.

GIVEAWAY
My friend Lauren, who blogs at Keep It Sweet, recently launched an online bakery. We catch up constantly and whenever she brings treats, I’m thrilled. On a recent visit she brought peanut butter chocolate chip cookie sandwiches with chocolate buttercream and fudgy caramel pecan brownies — some of the best brownies I’ve ever had — plus a peanut butter cup-stuffed triple chocolate cookie that I may have selfishly eaten after a hospital stay.

Lauren has generously offered to send one reader a dozen of any product of their choice from her online bakery. To enter, leave a comment naming which product you would choose and include an email address so we can contact the winner. Use coupon code EATSWELL10 for 10% off purchases through August 31st. The winner will be announced one week from today.