When I think of spring desserts, nothing is as heavenly as pairing strawberry and rhubarb. Strawberries are lusciously sweet and rhubarb lends a tart and bracing flavor to any dish where they are combined with other fruit. Since National Strawberry month is coming to an end, I chose to celebrate these bright juicy berries while they are still in season at local farmers markets. Since it’s been a very cold and rainy month of May here in Delaware I hope the dessert that follows will inspire thoughts of warm sunny days.
Most of us do not know that strawberries are good for us. The lush, bright red berries are packed with the health benefits of vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants, just to name a few. This is probably not why strawberries are a staple in 94% of American households. It’s because of their delicious flavor, versatility, and that they are so adaptable, contributing to many recipes such as pies, desserts or ice cream.
Strawberries can last up to a week in an open container in the refrigerator. Here are some simple tips to keep them fresh as long as possible. Wash as you go, washing strawberries only before eating them. Leave the stems on as long as possible. Keeping the stems on until you're about to eat the strawberries will prolong their life. Don't let one moldy berry spoil the whole bunch. Be ruthless in tossing out bad berries to protect the rest.
But here’s an even better tip – how to bake individual strawberry tarts paired with the other spring darling, rhubarb. The recipe follows:
Strawberry Rhubarb Mini Tarts
These mini tarts combine the best of spring strawberries with their luscious partner, rhubarb. (Recipe inspired by Completely Delicious)
Ingredients
Sweet dough:
1½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Filling:
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
3 almond biscotti crushed
Zest of 1 orange
3 cups strawberries, sliced
3 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1 inch pieces
Meringue:
2 egg whites and 1/3 cup sugar
Preparation:
Dough – for 4 four inch tart pans:
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, powdered sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Slowly add the beaten egg and pulse until the mixture comes together into a ball. Add a tablespoon water if not coming together. Shape into 4 flat disks, wrap and refrigerate. Allow the dough to come to room temperature, then roll out into rounds on a lightly floured surface. Drape dough over tart pans, push bottom toward edges and use rolling pin to cut off the excess.
Filling:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the strawberries and rhubarb separately. Divide sugar in half and coat the fruits. Spread the rhubarb in a thin layer in a pie pan or other shallow dish and bake covered 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake 10 minutes or till softened and juices are running. Set aside. Place the strawberries in a medium saucepan and heat on med-low till softened and sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Divide rhubarb between tart shells and sprinkle with crushed biscotti. Add the strawberries (use a slotted spoon to avoid too much liquid). Place tarts on a sheet pan and bake at 400 degrees F until filling is bubbling and dough is golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely.
Meringue:
Make meringue by beating egg whites till soft peaks form then continuing to beat while adding sugar for stiff peaks. Spread meringue as topping on each tart. Turn oven to broil and carefully watch till meringue is browned. Serve immediately
