Strawberry Rhubarb Shortbread
My grandpa gave me fresh rhubarb from his garden this past weekend. I couldn’t wait to use it. I love baking with rhubarb!! I have made rhubarb muffins, rhubarb cupcakes, rhubarb bars, rhubarb pancakes but never have I made shortbread using rhubarb. We had a very special birthday in the office today so I researched for a new rhubarb recipe to try and when I came across this recipe for Rhubarb Shortbread I had to give it a whirl. This recipe was adapted from a recipe on PBS’s website http://www.pbs.org/food/kitchen-vignettes/rhubarb-cardamom-shortbread-bars/. The original recipe called for a few different ingredients so I switched it up slightly since I didn’t have spelt flour , cane sugar, nor did I have red wine on hand.
Ingredients:
Dough:
1 Cup of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 Cup AP Flour
A pinch of salt
1 Teaspoon of baking soda
2 Teaspoon of ground cardamom
2 sticks of butter (unsalted and brought to room temperature)
1 Cup of Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
Baking dish needed: 10 inch tart pan
Rhubarb Compote:
2 Cups of Rhubarb Chopped
1/2 cup Strawberries chopped
1/3 Cup of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Water
1 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla
Directions for the Dough:
- Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, cream the butter until fluffy.
3. Add the eggs yolks one at a time and sugar and mix well.
4. Add the dry ingredients ingredients and combine the two until a soft dough has formed.
5. Form the dough into two balls, make sure to form one larger than the other.
Wrap the dough in plastic cling wrap and place in freezer for 30 to 45 minutes. them for a minimum of 30 minutes.
6. For the Compote: Place a 2 quart sauce pan on low heat, add water, sugar, strawberries, rhubarb into the pan. Make sure to stir often. Add the sauce to come to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low continue to stir often.
7. Remove from heat after thickened and stir in the vanilla. Place the compote in a freezer safe bowl and sit on ice in the freezer for at least 30 to 45 minutes to cool completely.
8. Preheat oven to 350. Once compote is cooled get the larger piece of dough out of the freezer and start to grate with larger holes on a grater directly into a Pam Sprayed 10 inch tart pan.
9. Pat down the dough into the pan lightly.
10. Spread the rhubarb compote over the first layer of dough evenly. MAKE sure to leave a least a half inch from the perimeter to prevent leaking on the outside.
11. Now take out the second dough ball and grate over the top of the rhubarb compote.
12. Pat down the dough very lightly. You will still see some compote poking through but it is okay.
13. Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 until the entire top is evenly golden brown.
14. Allow the pan to cool completely before cutting into this delightful treat.
