Bake of the Week: Rhubarb and custard slice

RHUBARB and custard is one of our dream combinations, and this bake is perfect with a dollop of cream or ice cream.

You’ll have rhubarb juices left when you’ve cooked it. Bubble them down until they reduce by half and use it as a drizzling syrup over the bake, or add it to drinks. It’s especially nice in rhubarb & ginger gin.

Thanks to Dr Oetker for this week’s fabulous recipe.

You’ll need

For the base

250g plain flour

1½ tsp Dr Oetker Baking Powder

200g caster sugar

125g cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 egg

For the filling

50g caster sugar

800g rhubarb, cut into 6cm lengths

75g caster sugar

3 medium eggs, 1 egg yolk

250ml double cream

½ tsp Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Natural Extract

800g rhubarb, cut into 6cm lengths

250ml double cream

A dusting of icing sugar

Method

For the base, mix the flour, baking powder and sugar, then rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Beat an egg with 1 tbsp of water then mix in using a butter knife. Then, without overworking, bring the mixture together with your hands to make a smooth dough. Cover and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.

For the filling, in a wide pan bring 90ml of water mixed with 50g sugar to the boil. Reduce to a simmer then add the rhubarb in a single layer, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.

In a jug mix the rest of sugar, eggs and yolk, cream and vanilla extract until just combined, set aside.

Heat the oven to 180C, 160C fan, gas 4. Grease a 20cm x 30cm tray-bake or brownie tin. Take a sheet of baking parchment big enough to line the whole tin, trace the base of the tin in the middle then roll the dough out to cover it. Trim and reserve the excess pieces of dough. Snip from the tip of the parchment to the tip of the dough in each corner then set into the tin, tidy up the parchment and gently press the dough to the edges. Bake for 20 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Carefully press strips of the reserved dough all along the edges of the tin the seal in the dough after any shrinkage from baking. Scatter the rhubarb, pour over the custard and bake for 40 minutes or until the centre is set, but with a slight wobble.