Around our little homestead we often have a friendly competition going on in the kitchen. Darrell and I both love to cook though we lean towards different areas of expertise.
While he tends to be the master in the savory categories, he did woo me with a molasses-currant-nut cookie which he spun from a recipe his mother gave him. He dubbed them his official “Williamsburg Cookie” knowing how much I love the colonial village. He’s pretty savvy. If the cookie itself hadn’t done the trick, a name like that would have sealed the deal. To his credit they do taste like a bite right out of the 1700s, deep and earthy in flavor.
It might be pointless to compete with him in the cookie arena but in the general category of desserts I am a force to be reckoned with.
I wrote about his Rustic-Rhubarb-Not-Too-Sweet cake last year but it’s time to share the other side of that story. I have a rhubarb specialty, too. My treat is creamy and sweet-tart with layers of meringue, custard and buttery shortbread. Best of all it holds its own whether served at an old time country fair or a night at the philharmonic. Darrell’s cake couldn’t do that.
With rhubarb in season this is a perfect time to decide for yourself: Darrell’s Rustic-Rhubarb-Not-Too-Sweet Cake or my Rhubarb-Layered-Cream-Torte? Why not try them both and chime in about your favorite?
Remember it’s always a friendly competition around this old homestead and the truth is when we’re out on the front porch lounging with our feet up at the end of the day we’d happily devour either one!
Hope to see you around the bread bowl….maybe even next week!
Hearth Breads is on Saturday, June 3. There’s still a spot or two available!
Rhubarb-Layered-Cream-Torte
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
Filling:
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk or half and half (or try Califia’s toasted coconut almond milk…YUM!)
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice (to stabilize the egg whites)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl mix together all ingredients for the shortbread crust and press into an ungreased 8 inch square pan.
Bake for 15 minutes, just until set. Don’t overbake as it will continue to cook when your put the filling on and return it to the oven.
Meanwhile whisk egg yolks and sugar together. Add flour then the milk and vanilla. Stir in rhubarb.
Pour over crust when it comes out of the oven and bake for 50 – 60 minutes until set. Again, it will bake a little more when it goes back into the oven with the meringue.
Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and lemon juice until stiff peaks form.
Spread meringue over baked rhubarb custard making sure to completely cover and spread to the edges of the pan. Return to oven for 10 minutes or until set.
Serve warm if you like. Darrell and I love it chilled.
Store in the fridge once cool.
this would never make it to the fridge at our house
Luckily it’s good warm, too….but this is sort of like the pan of brownies phenomena that happens. You start cutting off a little piece and then another and pretty soon you’ve eaten a whole row or maybe even the entire pan!