Rhubarb, ginger custard, biscuit crumble pastry
Imagine making a bunch of cute pink pastries to give out to your friends over the weekend, or even running a pretend coffee shop from your house on a Saturday morning with all of your friends over for coffee and pastries?! Dreamy!!
I love this recipe because the custard is cool which contrasts the warm flakey pastry and rhubarb compote. The poached rhubarb on top is soft and delicate with crunchy biscuit-y brown sugar crumble on top.
The biscuit brown sugar crumble is legit just the topping that goes over apple crumble, just without the fruit. It’s so delicious and crunchy on it’s own, I have been enjoying it with yogurt and rhubarb compote.
This pastry is inspired by a photo I saw on Instagram from Tarn Bakery. I used puff pastry to simplify this recipe, also because there are a few components to this recipe so why not make it easier on us?!
All together this recipe is based off one bunch of rhubarb.
Makes 12 pastries.
Ingredients:
Pastry:
3 sheets of puff pastry, each cut into 4 squares
1 large egg, whisked
Ginger custard:
250 ml double cream or heavy cream
250 ml milk, full cream
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
40g sugar
Rhubarb compote:
1 1/2 cup rhubarb, roughly chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
2 tbsp honey
Poached rhubarb:
1 1/2 cup rhubarb, roughly chopped
3/4 cup sugar
Brown sugar crumble:
1/2 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
60g, or 4 tbsp, salted butter, melted
90g all purpose flour, sifted
Method:
To make the ginger custard: combine cream and milk in a measuring cup and mix to combine. Add cornstarch and ginger to a mixing bowl and add 1/4 of the cream mixture to make a paste.
Pour the paste into a small saucepan and add sugar and egg yolks. Mix until it is very well combined, then pour in the rest of the cream and milk. Mix again until really well combined.
Bring to a low heat, constantly stirring using a whisk. It’s really important that the heat is on low and you are constantly stirring so that the eggs don’t start cooking in the saucepan. Scrape the sides of the pan and the bottom to ensure no parts are sticking to the pan and cooking faster than the rest. Do this for 10 minutes, or until the custard has thickened and holds some shape. It will thicken more as it cools.
To make the rhubarb compote: add rhubarb, brown sugar and honey to a small saucepan. Bring to a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Once the rhubarb has softened and begins to break down, about 5 mins, remove the rhubarb using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl, leaving behind the syrup to thicken in the saucepan. Stir the syrup as it thickens, another 5 minutes over medium-low heat, then pour the syrup over the rhubarb and fold it in.
To poach the rhubarb: add sugar and 1 cup of water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add in the rhubarb and immediately turn off the heat. The rhubarb will soften as it sits in the sugar syrup. Once it has cooled, about 30 mins, remove the rhubarb using a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
To make the biscuit crumble: preheat oven to 350F/175C. Heat butter in a small fry pan until completely melted. Pour hot, melted butter over brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix to combine. Add sifted flour and stir until evenly combined. Pour over a baking paper lined tray and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
To assemble the pastries: take one pastry sheet and cut it into 4 equal squares. Take one square and gently outline a small square in the center, just enough to hold 1 tbsp of rhubarb compote, not cutting all the way through the pastry, just outlining a square.
Add 1 tbsp of rhubarb compote to the center of the square you just outlined. Brush the rest of the pastry with egg wash, using a pastry brush.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let cool slightly, then add 2 tbsp of ginger custard on top of the rhubarb compote. Top with poached rhubarb and biscuit brown sugar crumble, then enjoy straight away!
