Rhubarb and Custard Meringue Tart with Raspberry Coulis

Methods

Step one

Mix the McDougalls Shortcrust Pastry Mix with 100ml of water and mix until it forms a dough, divide this in to 10 equal portions and roll each one out so its big enough to fit into your tart cases, fill each one with the pastry then, using a little parchment paper in first to cover the pastry, fill with baking beans.

Step two

Blind bake the tart cases at 170°C, 325°F gas mark 3 for 15 minutes until just starting to turn golden brown.

Step three

Cut the rhubarb into pieces the same width as the tart cases, sprinkle with 1 tbsp of the sugar and bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 170°C, 325°F gas mark 3 until tender. Once cooked, gently place the rhubarb on a wire rack keeping the tray you cooked it on underneath so that any juice will drip back on to the tray , this juice can then be used with the raspberries to make the coulis.

Step four

Once the pastry cases are golden take out of the oven, remove the baking beans and allow to cool ready for filling.

Step five

With the egg, separate the yolk from the white, keeping each one in separate bowls.

Step six

For the custard, mix the Bird’s Custard Powder with 1 tbsp of sugar and the 50ml of cold milk, whisk together in a small saucepan until it becomes a paste then add 200ml of water and the vanilla paste, gently heat over a low flame until it has thickened and remove from the heat.

Step seven

Using a hand whisk, whisk your egg white until firm then slowly add the remaining sugar. Once combined, place the mix in a piping bag.

Step eight

Add the remaining egg yolk to the custard mix and give it another good whisk.

Step nine

Pour the custard mix into the cooked pastry cases and pop into the oven for 5 minutes at 180°C just to form a skin on top.

Step ten

Once out of the oven, carefully lay the rhubarb on top of the custard.

Step eleven

Then pipe on the meringue over the top of the rhubarb and return to the oven at for a further 10 minutes to set the meringue. While the tarts are cooking pass the raspberries, any left-over rhubarb and the collected rhubarb juice through a fine sieve to make the coulis then get it ready in a small squeezy bottle, with the coulis draw a line all the way down the middle of the dessert plate then using a pastry brush sweep it from side to side to make it look pretty.

Step twelve

Place the tart on top in the middle of the coulis.

Step thirteen

Crush the freeze-dried raspberries to make a dust then sprinkle over the top along with the edible dried flowers.

Tips