Rhubarb Frangipane Galette

We recently had our first gathering of the season at Laurelbank farm and it was fabulous. We planted out squash, sowed our pollinator field and had our grand moth trap opening! And when the work was done, as is fast becoming tradition, I lit the pizza oven and we all enjoyed some lunch.

But after savoury must come sweet, and this recipe went down a treat! The sharpness of the rhubarb (grown right here on the farm) balanced with the sweetness of the crumbly base, topped off with decedent cream was an absolute winner. And it looked very pretty too! There wasn’t a slice left by the end of the afternoon which is always a good sign. So if you fancy a delicious early Summer dessert that is sure to be a crowd pleaser, read on…

Serves 10-12

For the pastry:
120g strong flour (mainly wholemeal)
120g butter (fridge cold)
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
up to 4 tablespoons ice cold water

For the frangipane:
100g butter
100g sugar
1 egg
150g ground almonds
1 sweet geranium leaf, finely chopped (optional)

400-500g rhubarb, cut into diamonds
a bit more egg
a sprinkling of demerara sugar
a handful of small strawberries (optional)

1) First make the pastry. Put the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl and whisk to break up any lumps.

2) Cut up the butter into approximately 1cm chunks and add to the flour mix. Squish each of the chunks into the flour between your fingers. It doesn’t need to be mixed in well. Just quickly flatten each chunk of butter for a minute or so.

3) Use up to 4 tablespoons of ice cold water to bring the pastry together into a ball. Add 3 tablespoons first and then see if you need more. Don’t overwork it. Just add a little more water if it’s not clumping together. It’s ok if you can see lumps of butter in it!

4) Roll out the pastry into a rectangle on a well-floured surface. Fold both sides into the middle and roll out again. Turn 90 degrees and fold the sides into the middle again.

5) Roll out again and then fold in half. Put in a bag or climgfilm and put in the fridge to cool for 15 minutes.

6) Next make the frangipane. Cream together sugar and the butter. Add in the egg and mix again. Stir in ground almonds and mix in the sweet geranium leaf, if using.

7) When you’re ready to make the tart, take the pastry out of the fridge and roll out into an approximate circle. Before you add the topping put on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.

8) Spoon on the frangipane and spread out over the pastry leaving approximately 1.5cm around the edge bare.

9) Arrange the rhubarb on the frangipane pushing it in gently. I also added some strawberries, as it’s the season!

10) Fold the edges of the pastry in to form a small crust. Brush with egg and sprinkle with a little demerara sugar.

11) Cook at 180*C for around 30 mins. Serve hot, warm or cold with whipped cream.