Strawberry Rhubarb Custard Tart Recipe

There are plenty of sweet treats to enjoy after dinner for dessert, and many love to indulge in cookies, cakes, and brownies. A good old-fashioned tart happens to be another popular dessert to curb your craving for sweets. Often fruit-based, tarts are different from pies in that they often use a shortcrust pastry for a more shallow treat, and they are not covered by pastry dough. This strawberry rhubarb custard tart is the perfect dessert and sweet treat to impress your guests. Whether you need to make a dessert for a family gathering or even at Thanksgiving, this tart is off-the-charts good. 

Recipe developer Jennine Bryant came up with this tasty tart that will leave you wanting more. "It's a really delicious [treat] and it seems like a celebration of the late summer harvest. It isn't at all complicated to make, especially if you use ready rolled pastry, and there's very little that can go wrong," Bryant says. We love that answer!

Keep reading to find out how to make this fantastic tart in no time!

To kick things off, make a list of all of the necessary items that you will need to throw this dessert together. Start with a packet of ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, which really makes things easy as pie. You will also need some strawberries, rhubarb, and sugar. To go with the baking theme, grab some flour (Bryant uses gluten-free flour, but you can also use all-purpose flour). From the spice aisle, you will need to grab nutmeg and cinnamon.

Your next category should be the dairy section, where you can find the eggs, milk, and butter. The recipe also has one optional ingredient — pistachios.

Once you have all of your ingredients out in front of you, it's time to start baking. Before you get your hands dirty with any of the actual prep work, go to your oven and turn the dial to 400 F. "It is important to preheat the oven so that the heat hits the [tart] and starts the cooking process as soon as it goes into the oven," Bryant shares. "That way you can also be sure on timings. If the oven isn't heated up beforehand, the crust especially won't cook the same way." So, it's really vital to take this necessary step.

Next, grab a round 9-inch tart tin and your ready-rolled shortcrust pastry. Place the pastry in the middle of the tin and seal in the sides gently by pressing the edges of the dish with your finger. Now, it should start looking more like a tart crust. You can use a knife to cut off any extra pastry dough and then discard it unless you want to keep it to use for something later. We'll be honest, this part of the recipe is kind of relaxing because you're just working dough with your fingers. 

Make sure you chop up your strawberries and rhubarb into small pieces, and then grab a bowl and combine the chopped rhubarb and the strawberries. The combination of these two fruits together is spectacular and Bryant can't stop raving about it. "Strawberry and rhubarb make a delicious flavor combination," Bryant shares. "They are both such summery flavors; the strawberry complements the rhubarb by adding a little sweetness against the sharp flavor of rhubarb. They combine to make a deliciously fruity [tart]!"

After the strawberry and rhubarb, you can also add the sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon into the bowl.

Once you finish mixing the dry ingredients and fruit, take out another small bowl and pour in the milk and the eggs. Whisk the two ingredients together well. Then, pour this wet egg mixture into the strawberry mix to combine. Mix everything well, and now you have the filling for your tart. Pour the filling from the bowl into the prepared pastry base.

Before you put the tart into the oven, dot the top with cubes of butter. Then pop the pastry into the oven to bake and set your timer for an hour.

Once your timer goes off, carefully remove the tart from the oven. Allow it to cool completely before serving your guests. If you'd like, you can also add the pistachios to the top of the tart as a topping. 

As far as serving suggestions, Bryant has a few. "I would suggest keeping it simple for serving, either with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to complement the tart taste of the rhubarb and strawberry, or a drizzle of fresh cream," she says. Have leftovers? Once it cools down, you should store it in the fridge. "It's definitely best eaten fresh but is good in the fridge for 2 to 3 days," recommends Bryant.

We hope you loved this dish as much as we do!