Good Ol' Summertime Rhubarb Custard Dessert With Cookie Crust

Debber's Note:

A delicious cookie crust, a sweet-tart creamy custard loaded with rhubarb, topped with an (optional) amazing meringue. Works with frozen or fresh rhubarb. RHUBARB GROWING HINTS: water freely while it is growing; fearlessly remove the flower buds (they look kind of like white broccoli) before they open--if you don't the plant puts more effort into flowering than in making thick juicy stalks--can't have that!; harvest stalks throughout summer, then discontinue plucking spears in early August; snap off or cut stems at the base (right above the ground); rhubarb leaves are a GREAT mulch around the rhubarb bed, to keep the weeds down.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 1.0 13x9 pan

Crust

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed

Filling

• 8 cups diced rhubarb (one long, thick stalk will generally yield about one cup of 'barb)

Custard

• 6 egg yolks (whites are used in the meringue)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk or 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup flour

Meringue

• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar (2 tsp at a time)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350; butter a 13x9 pan.
2. Cream butter with flours and sugar, spread in prepared pan, pressing into corners and bottom; bake for 5-10 minutes (it will get bubbly--sort of).
3. While that is cooking, cut up the rhubarb.
4. In a blender or a mixer bowl, beat eggs until foamy and fluffy, add sugar and continue mixing, then add other ingredients until thick and rich; set aside (rewhip right before pouring into pan with rhubarb).
5. When crust is baked, spread rhubarb pieces evenly (press lightly into crust--lightly!); pour custard over rhubarb; return pan to the oven for 45 minutes (knife poked in middle comes out clean).
6. While THAT is cooking, prepare meringue; beat eggs until forming soft (firm) peaks, adding sugar 2 teaspoons at a time, then salt and vanilla last, mixing until stiff.
7. At end of baking time, remove pan from oven, turn heat up to 425; spread meringue over rhubarb/custard, smooth with a spoon into pretty swirls.
8. Brown for five minutes; set the timer--it can burn very quickly!
9. VARIATIONS: Skip the meringue and use whole eggs in the custard; switch out some of the rhubarb for strawberries or raspberries; use all white flour instead of wholewheat in the crust.

Reviews

[Andyrain]

I followed the recipe EXACTLY as written, but I think some of the proportions seem off. 1 cup of butter in that shortbread crust made it absolutely soaked and dense, nothing resembling a cookie crust. And 8 cups of diced rhubarb seems like too much. I had quite a bit chopped up and it measured only 6 cups, which was plenty because the custard barely covered it. I baked it exactly as directed but my custard never set and I couldn't get the knife to come out clean even after an hour. I finally pulled it out of the oven as the top was getting very brown and even starting to crack. So I added the meringue layer and crossed my fingers. The flavors are nice but the consistency was too soupy for my taste. I might try as little as 1/4 cup butter in the crust layer and stick with 4-5 cups of rhubarb because I think it releases liquid during baking and interferes with the custard and crust to make it all soggy. I'm open to advice here because apparently I've done something wrong.

[livabelle]

I actually got to try this in person made by Debber and it is soooo good!!! I loved that she added strawberries to it as well. I am excited to try and make this for this 4th of July weekend! Thank You Debber

[Jemima Taffycat]

My mouth waters just from reading this! Can't wait to try it.