Recipe: Rhubarb Cheese Tart with Crumb Topping

One of our favorite fruits is rhubarb. Only available for a short window each year, grab some and try this wonderful tart from Nick Malgieri, the creator of ICE’s Pastry & Baking Arts Program. Quick, before it’s all gone!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds pâte sucrée or your favorite tart dough
• 4 pounds fresh rhubarb
• 1 pound granulated sugar
• 1-quart water

Cheese Custard

• 6 ounces cream cheese

• 6 fluid ounces heavy cream
• 6 egg yolks
• 3 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest

Crumb Topping

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 pound light brown sugar
• 1/4 granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 pound all-purpose flour

Instructions

Makes one large tart

1. Prepare the dough and chill it. Roll the dough on a floured surface and line a buttered 12x18-inch pan with it. Chill the dough-lined pan.
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. String the rhubarb and cut it into 2-inch lengths. Place the rhubarb into a small hotel pan.
3. Bring the sugar and water to a boil and pour it over the rhubarb. Allow the rhubarb to cool in the syrup and chill.
4. Drain the rhubarb on paper towels.
5. Arrange the rhubarb on the dough.
6. To prepare the custard, beat the cream cheese until it is light and beat in the remaining ingredients in order.
7. To prepare the crumb topping, combine all the ingredients.
8. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
9. Break into crumbs by hand.
10. Pour the cheese custard over the rhubarb and strew the surface with the crumbs. Bake the tart at 350 degrees 30 - 40 minutes. Cool the tart and dust it with confectioners' sugar.