Rhubarb Puff Food

RHUBARB TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Unfold 1 pastry sheet and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet; repeat with remaining pastry sheet. Whisk egg and water; brush over pastries. Using a sharp knife, score a 1-in. border around edges of pastry sheets (do not cut through). With a fork, prick center of pastries. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. With a spatula, press down center portion of pastries, leaving outer edges intact. Remove to wire racks to cool., Meanwhile, for topping, arrange rhubarb in a single layer in a 13x9-in. baking dish. Combine orange juice, honey and amaretto; pour over rhubarb. Bake at 400° until rhubarb is just tender but still holds its shape, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid; let rhubarb cool. Transfer reserved cooking liquid to a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Cool., For filling, stir together mascarpone cheese, amaretto and honey until smooth. Spread mascarpone mixture over center of each pastry. Top with rhubarb ribs. Brush rhubarb with cooled cooking liquid. Refrigerate leftovers.

RHUBARB PUFFS WITH OATY STREUSEL TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. In a bowl, toss the rhubarb with cinnamon, 1 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp sugar. Line a baking sheet with a piece of baking parchment. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to approx 20 x 30cm, then cut into quarters and place on the sheet.
• Rub together the remaining flour, sugar, butter and oats to make a rough crumble mixture. Divide the rhubarb between the pastry quarters, leaving a 1cm rim. Sprinkle the oat mixture over, then fold and pinch each corner to keep the filling in. Bake for 20-25 mins, then serve warm.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PUFF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400º F.
• In an ungreased 9x9 inches pan, mix strawberry, rhubarb and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Take to the oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Combine oil and milk in a small bowl. Pour it all at once into flour mixture. Stir with a few strokes.
• Spoon batter over the fruit.
• Mix 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle on top.
• Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
• Serve warm.

SPEEDY RHUBARB FOOL

Steps:

• Get yourself a small pan and throw in the rhubarb, sugar and orange juice. Put a lid on top, bring to a boil for a couple of minutes, then remove the lid and simmer for a few more minutes until you get a thick compote consistency.
• While the compote is stewing, we'll make some lovely crisp wafers. Sieve the icing sugar and cinnamon onto a clean work surface. Cut 4 slices about 1/2-inch thick off your pastry and place them flat on your dusted work surface. Pop the rest of your pastry in the fridge or freezer for another day. Roll each slice out to 1/4-inch thick, turning it over as you go so it gets covered in the icing sugar mixture. Cut the strips in half diagonally - you'll end up with long, triangular shapes.
• Preheat a large, nonstick frying pan and fry the pastry triangles, in 2 batches, on each side until golden brown. Leave to cool on a rack.
• Mix the yogurt, orange zest and honey together.
• To serve, dollop a spoonful of yogurt into each serving glass, followed by a spoonful of rhubarb compote. Continue layering the yogurt and compote until the glass is full, then stick a puff pastry triangle in the top. Alternatively, layer up the yogurt, rhubarb and pastry triangles on individual plates. Now tuck in!
• "Our agreement with the producers of "Jamie at Home" only permit us to make 2 recipes per episode available online. Food Network regrets the inconvenience to our viewers and foodnetwork.com users"

RASPBERRY RHUBARB CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss carefully with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button just until the dough comes together. Turn onto a well-floured board, cut in half, and form into two disks. Wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (Wrap the second dough well and freeze, if not using.)
• For the filling, place 3 tablespoons of water in small bowl, whisk in the cornstarch, and set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the rhubarb, raspberries, granulated sugar, orange zest, and orange juice. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until some of the juices are released. Stir in the cornstarch, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until cool.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Roll the pastry to an 11- to 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface and transfer to the prepared pan. Pile the raspberry rhubarb mixture onto the pastry, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border all around. Fold the border up over the filling, pleating, if necessary, and pressing lightly. Brush the pastry with egg wash, sprinkle the pastry with turbinado sugar, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the filling is thickened. Cool for 30 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

FRENCH RHUBARB TART

Steps:

• Cut the rhubarb into 10.5cm batons, using pieces that are roughly the same width. Put the vanilla pod, sugar, lemon juice and 300ml water (or enough to just cover the rhubarb) in a wide frying pan or shallow casserole set over a low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the rhubarb and simmer for 5 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the syrup, preferably overnight, or for at least 1 hr. This way your rhubarb should be perfectly cooked, but still hold its shape.
• To make the pastry, put the flour, almonds, sugar and butter in a food processor. Blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. While the motor is running, add the egg yolk and dribble in 1-2 tbsp cold water. Tip onto a work surface and knead briefly to bring the mixture together to form a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• While your pastry chills, make the crème patisserie. Heat the milk and reserved vanilla seeds in a pan set over a medium heat until nearly boiling. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and flours together in a large bowl until pale. Continue whisking while you pour the hot milk over the egg mixture. Wipe out the saucepan and strain the liquid back into the pan through a sieve. Set over a medium-low heat and stir continuously until the mixture has a thick custard consistency. Scrape into a clean bowl, cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin from forming and chill for at least 1 hr or up to 2 days.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge. If it is a little hard, leave it at room temperature to soften for 10 mins or so. Roll out to 1mm thick on a lightly floured surface. Use the pastry to line a 12 x 35cm fluted rectangular tart tin, making sure you press the pastry into the fluted edges (you can use the blunt end of a knife to help you do this). Leave any excess pastry overhanging. Chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the pastry case from the fridge, line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind-bake for 20 mins, then remove the parchment and beans, and continue baking for 8 mins more until pale golden and biscuity. Use a sharp serrated knife to trim off the overhanging pastry to give you a clean edge. Cool in the tin.
• Remove the rhubarb pieces from their syrup and set aside. Return the syrup to the hob and boil until thick and sticky. Leave to cool slightly. To finish the crème patisserie, whisk the cream until it holds soft peaks and fold this into the chilled mixture. This is easier if you start by beating in a little cream and then folding in the remaining.
• Remove the pastry case from the tin and put on a plate. Fill with the crème patisserie and smooth over the surface. Carefully line up the rhubarb down the length of the tart case, trying to fit them in quite snugly. Use a pastry brush to glaze the tart with the rhubarb syrup. Chill for 30 mins before serving. This tart will keep for 3 days in the fridge, however it is best eaten on the day it is made.

PUFF PASTRY APPLE TURNOVERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon; add apples and toss to coat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each pastry sheet into a 12-in. square. Cut each into four squares. , Spoon 1/2 cup apple mixture into the center of each square; fold diagonally in half and press edges to seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet., In a small bowl, combine the butter, sugar and cinnamon; brush over pastry. Bake at 400° for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.

CREAMY RHUBARB TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Roll the pastry out thinly and, using a plate or cutter, cut out 4 circles about 14cm in diameter. Use a slightly smaller cutter to cut a circle out of the middle and trim away the outside border, reserving these trimmings.
• Lay the 4 circles on a baking sheet, prick all over with a fork and brush the edges with egg. Use the pastry trimmings to make a border around the edge like a vol-au-vent and press down gently with your thumb. Chill until needed. This can be done up to 1 day ahead or frozen for up to 1 month.
• In a small bowl, mix the demerara sugar with the crème fraîche and spread a thin amount over the base of each tart. Neatly arrange slices of rhubarb, overlapping in a floral pattern, over the crème fraîche, then dust generously with icing sugar. Bake the tarts for 20 mins until puffed up and golden. Leave to rest for a few mins and eat warm with a scoop of ice cream, if you like.