This impressive rhubarb frangipane tart is the perfect decadent summertime dessert.

Just because you're attending an outdoor dinner party doesn't mean you have to contribute the generic chocolate chip cookies and ice cream bars. Generate excitement from the whole table by presenting this impressive rhubarb frangipane tart at the end of the meal. Its creamy almond filling is fragrant and complex, and we love the idea of using in-season rhubarb for something other than a pie. The good news for you is that, with only 10 ingredients, it's actually an easy-to-achieve dessert that looks like the work of a masterful pastry chef.

 

Ingredients

• 5 cups chopped rhubarb stalks
• 2 cups + 2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2-1⁄4 cups unsalted butter, cubed and divided
• 1⁄2 tsp sea salt
• 3 eggs
• 1-1⁄4 cups almond meal
• 1⁄2 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
   

Makes one 10" tart. 

Directions

1 Place the rhubarb in a medium saucepan with 3⁄4 cup of the sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and poach for 5 to 7 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender. Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon; set aside. Reduce the liquid until it's a thick syrup, about 7 minutes. Add to the rhubarb.

2 For the crust, pulse 2 cups of the flour, 1 cup of the butter, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt in a food processor. Add 1⁄4 cup ice water and continue pulsing for about 5 seconds. Scrape the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead together to form a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

3 Roll out the dough to a 1⁄4"-thick sheet; transfer to a 10" fluted tart pan, pressing the dough into the edge and removing any excess pastry (as seen in the assembly image above).

4 To make the frangipane filling, cream the remaining butter and sugar for two minutes using an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the almond meal, the remaining flour and the almond extract; beat until well incorporated.

5 Spread 1 cup of the cooled rhubarb mixture evenly over the bottom of the dough, then spread the frangipane filling overtop. Bake the tart at 375ºF on the centre rack of the oven for 30 minutes. Cover with foil and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes; let cool.

6 Whip the cream with the icing sugar and mound onto the cooled tart. Top with the remaining rhubarb filling and serve.

Note: When baking with rhubarb, be sure to use only the fleshy pink stalks. The plant's leaves contain poisonous substances that are toxic to humans and should not be ingested.