Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

There’s a certain ease and simplicity to free-form tarts like this. Sometimes they’re called a crostata, sometimes a galette. You can call it whatever you want, but I call it a fast way to use great fruit when it’s in season, without a lot of fuss. At the beginning of summer, when rhubarb is still lingering around, and strawberries are elbowing their way forward, it’s a…

There’s a certain ease and simplicity to free-form tarts like this. Sometimes they’re called a crostata, sometimes a galette. You can call it whatever you want, but I call it a fast way to use great fruit when it’s in season, without a lot of fuss.

At the beginning of summer, when rhubarb is still lingering around, and strawberries are elbowing their way forward, it’s a good thing the two go so well together. And I’m happy to help them hook up.

I remember a neighbor had a big rhubarb plant in their backyard and we used to dip the raw stalks in a cup of sugar and eat them. (Somehow, we knew not to eat the leaves, which are toxic.) I still remember, not just the fact that you could get free food from the earth, but that something could have so much flavor. Some kids aren’t fond of things that are tangy but I’ve always loved the contrast of sweet and tart.

Recently I was so excited to find such beautiful berries that I bought three big baskets of them. I made a little batch of Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, and another batch of Strawberry Vodka, both of which I hope will prolong the season…unlike this tart, which lasted not so long around here.

I first learned to make tarts like this from Jacques Pépin, when he came to work with us and began his shift by rolling out dough for fruit tarts. He actually double-doughed his tarts, rolling out two rounds of dough, and sandwiching the fruit between the two.

Being French, he brushed the top with lots of butter and liberally dusted the top with sugar. Today I usually make them open-faced, but do brush the crust with lots of butter and a generous sprinkling of sugar, which makes a crunchy crust, and is a nice contrast to the tender fruit-forward filling.

When I posted a picture of this tart on social media, with a promise to share the recipe, a friend, Ann Mah, asked me how I dealt with all the juice from rhubarb, which can exude a moderate amount. Hothouse rhubarb is generally redder in color and holds its color better than field-grown rhubarb once baked. However, I’ve never found much of a correlation between if it’s grown indoors or out, and how much juice it exudes.

That said, as insurance, I sprinkle the dough with a little bit of almond flour to absorb any errant juices. But I don’t mind things being a little bit messy; a friend’s Norwegian grandmother once told me that if pie doesn’t fall apart when you slice it, it’s not going to be any good. This tart slices nicely but tastes great. So you’re getting the best of both worlds here, in more ways than one.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

I often sprinkle a little almond flour on the tart dough, to soak up any extra juices that may come out of the fruit when it's baking. You can use cracker or bread crumbs, crumbled amaretti cookies, a bit of flour, or leave it out. For those who want to reduce the sugar, feel free to cut the sugar in the filling down to 1/2 cup (100g). For another variation, you could swap out fresh pitted cherries for the strawberries, or mix a basket or two of raspberries or blackberries with the rhubarb, in place of the strawberries. This tart is sometimes called a galette or crostata and is baked free-form. It could also be baked in a tart pan as well. Be sure to cover the baking sheet well if using parchment paper, to catch any juices that may run out during baking. I used an unrimmed baking sheet for this one but use a rimmed one if you want to make sure you're containing any errant juices.
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

For the tart dough

  • 1 1/2 cups (210g) flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (4oz, 115g) unsalted butter cubed and chilled
  • 6 tablespoons (90ml) ice water

For the filling

  • 3 cups (13oz, 380g) diced rhubarb (trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch, 2cm pieces)
  • 2 cups (10oz, 300g) strawberries hulled and quartered
  • zest of 1 lemon preferably unsprayed
  • 2/3 cup (130g) sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour (optional)
  • 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
  • turbinado or granulated sugar for finishing the tart

Instructions

  • To make the tart dough, mix the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can also make it in a food processor, or by hand, using a pastry blender.) Add the cold butter and mix until the butter pieces are the size of peas.
  • Add the ice water and continue to mix just until the dough comes together. Gather the dough with your hands, shape it into a disk, wrap it plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Put the rhubarb and strawberries in a medium bowl with the lemon zest. Sprinkle the sugar and corn starch on top, but do not mix the ingredients together yet. (If you do, they'll start to juice and may be overly juicy by the time you're ready to use them.)
  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºF). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 14-inch (36cm) circle and place it on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the almond flour over the tart dough, if using. Mix the fruit together with the sugar and corn starch and place the fruit into the center of the tart dough, then spread it with your hands, leaving 3-inch (8cm) of space between the fruit and the edge of the dough.
  • Fold the edges of the dough up and over the fruit filling. Brush the crush liberally with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake the tart until the filling is cooked and bubbling, and the crust is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and slide the tart off the baking sheet, onto a cooling rack.

Notes

Serving: Serve the tart on its own, or with Vanilla Ice Cream, White Chocolate and Fresh Ginger Ice Cream, or Cinnamon Ice Cream, or a dollop of crème fraîche.
Storage: The unrolled dough can be refrigerated for up to three days, or frozen for up to two months. The baked tart is best the same day but can be stored at room temperature for up to two days. (The dough will get softer the longer it sits.)

Breakfast Quiche

This breakfast quiche recipe is hearty and easy, starring a well-seasoned filling of hashbrowns and vegetables encased in pastry crust!…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This breakfast quiche recipe is hearty and easy, starring a well-seasoned filling of hashbrowns and vegetables encased in pastry crust!

Breakfast Quiche

Looking for a standout quiche recipe to make mornings more delicious? Try this easy Breakfast Quiche! We’ve become positive quiche experts over here, trying every different flavor. This one has come out on top! Hearty hashbrowns, bell peppers, and feta cheese for a perfectly-seasoned savory filling. Encase it all in a flaky pastry crust, and it’s simple to bake up as a make-ahead breakfast or fancy brunch. Here’s how to do it!

Ingredients in this breakfast quiche

A quiche is a French pastry filled with a custard and savory fillings. Many quiche recipes you can eat for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, making them extremely versatile! You can also eat them warm or cold, making leftovers a great snack or simple dinner. This breakfast quiche we created with ease in mind: the ingredients are simple and evocative of a breakfast casserole. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Quiche crust: 1 homemade recipe or refrigerated pie dough*
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Heavy cream
  • Dried mustard, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Feta cheese
  • Frozen or refrigerated hashbrowns
  • Green onions
  • Red bell pepper
Breakfast quiche recipe

For the crust: purchased is quickest

The best way to make a quiche recipe is with homemade quiche crust! But with a breakfast quiche, you may want to learn towards purchased crust to make preparation simpler. For this recipe, we used a purchased crust! Here are the pros and cons to each method:

  • Homemade crust holds its shape better and tastes better.  This quiche crust tastes so much better than store-bought: it’s more buttery and flaky. It can also hold a crimped crust better.
  • Purchased crust is faster. Purchased crust works too: especially for this breakfast quiche. We’ve had some issues with refrigerated pie dough holding its shape in a crimped pattern. For refrigerated or frozen crusts, we recommend using the decoration where you press the fork tines into the crust (see the photos).
Breakfast quiche

Tips for blind baking

The biggest key to making this breakfast quiche? Blind bake the crust! This means you bake the pastry crust without the filling first to avoid a soggy bottom. This is essential with quiche because the filling is so liquid (but not required with say, apple pie which has a chunkier filling). Here’s how to blind bake a crust:

  • Prick holes with a fork all over the crust. This is called docking: it helps keep the crust from puffing up while in the oven without filling.
  • Add parchment paper then pie weights, dried beans, or rice! Pour them right into the crust. We use two sets of these pie weights. Bake for 12 minutes at 400°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F.
  • Remove the pie weights. Remove the weights and bake 20 to 25 more minutes until the crust is golden.

For the pie crust shield

For this breakfast quiche recipe, you’ll also need to use a pie crust shield. This prevents the pie crust from burning in the oven by covering just the crust, allowing the filling to bake uncovered. There are two options for a pie crust shield:

  • Make a pie crust shield with aluminum foil. Cut a hole in the center of a large sheet of foil that’s the diameter of your pie plate. The foil will rest on the crust, but allow the filling to bake uncovered. Here’s a video with instructions for more details.
  • Or, buy a metal pie crust shield. Here’s a link to buy a pie crust shield online.
Breakfast Quiche

Breakfast quiche filling ideas

There are lots of ways to make a breakfast quiche! This one is flavored similar to our hashbrown breakfast casserole. But you can swap in different seasonings or filling ingredients to your liking! Here are a few ideas and tips:

  • Don’t overfill the quiche. Try to keep the approximate volume of vegetables similar to the recipe below.
  • Try other sauteed vegetables like very small broccoli florets, mushrooms, or onions.
  • Add fresh vegetables like sundried tomatoes, finely diced bell pepper, or frozen and thawed spinach (with all liquid squeezed out).
  • Vary the cheese. Try adding smoked gouda or smoked mozzarella in place of the cheddar cheese, or add grated Parmesan.

More quiche recipes

Love a good quiche? Here are a few other recipes you might enjoy:

This breakfast quiche recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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Breakfast Quiche

Breakfast Quiche


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8

Description

This breakfast quiche recipe is hearty and easy, starring a well-seasoned filling of hashbrowns and vegetables encased in pastry crust!


Ingredients

  • 1 Homemade Quiche Crust (made through Step 4) or 1 refrigerated pie dough*
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon dried mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) frozen or refrigerated hashbrowns
  • 2 green onions, sliced (white, light and dark green portions)
  • ¼ cup finely diced red pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare the crust: If using Homemade Quiche Crust, prepare it in the pie pan using the steps in the linked recipe. If using refrigerated pie dough, transfer the dough to the pie pan (make sure it is standard and not deep dish). Fold the overhanging dough backwards and seal it to form a rim. With refrigerated crust, it’s easiest to press in the tines of the fork to decorate the edges (like in the photos; it’s harder to get the crimped edges to keep their shape while baking). Use a fork to gently prick holes in the bottom and sides of the crust (which helps it to not puff up while blind baking).
  2. Freeze the crust: Freeze the crust in the pan for 15 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  4. Blind bake the crust at 400°F: Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the crust. Fill the dough with pie weights (we used two sets of these), dry beans, or dry rice. Bake for 12 minutes.
  5. Reduce the oven temperature and blind bake at 350°F: Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and carefully remove the parchment and weights. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until the bottom is lightly browned (or more if necessary for refrigerated pie crust). Remove from the oven and add the filling once it is ready.
  6. Make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, dried mustard, dried oregano, garlic powder, kosher salt, and several grinds black pepper. Place the cheddar cheese in the bottom of the crust, then add the hashbrowns. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle the top with green onions and diced red pepper. Add feta and another handful of shredded cheese. 
  7. Bake: Add a pie crust shield (purchased or homemade with foil**). Bake at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes minutes, until the center is set and the top is lightly browned. Cool at least 30 minutes, then serve or refrigerate. Re-warm in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes. (You can also serve it cold.) Leftovers stay for 5 days refrigerated.

Notes

*Typically we recommend a homemade quiche crust, but to keep this breakfast quiche simple we used purchased crust.

**To make your own crust shield, cut a hole in the center of a large sheet of foil that’s the diameter of your pie plate. The foil will rest on the crust but let the pie filling be uncovered. Here’s a video with instructions for more details

  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: French inspired
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Breakfast quiche, breakfast quiche recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Jack Daniels-Cream Cheese Icing

From the archives It’s September! The 9th month of the year is the gateway to sweatshirts, chili, football, and all things pumpkin. But before there’s pumpkin and Halloween candy, there are apples. This month, Rachel is throwing an Apple a Day party – a group of fabulous bloggers sharing their favorite apple recipes. And my […]

Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Jack Daniels Cream Cheese Frosting

From the archives

It’s September! The 9th month of the year is the gateway to sweatshirts, chili, football, and all things pumpkin. But before there’s pumpkin and Halloween candy, there are apples.

This month, Rachel is throwing an Apple a Day party – a group of fabulous bloggers sharing their favorite apple recipes. And my contribution? Breakfast. But not just any breakfast. It’s cinnamon roll meets apple pie meets Jack Daniels.

The cinnamon rolls are dressed up for fall with vanilla bean, brown sugar, apples, and whiskey and then topped with a cream cheese glaze scented with just a little bit more whiskey. It will take you longer to read the recipe title aloud than it will to inhale a cinnamon roll and lick your fingers clean. I speak from experience.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Jack Daniels-Cream Cheese Icing

Happy September! And seriously. Make those cinnamon rolls this weekend.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Jack Daniels Cream Cheese Icing

Celebrate fall with cinnamon rolls filled with apples, brown sugar, and whiskey.

Ingredients

  • For the Dough:
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 large whole egg
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract (or the scrapings from 1 vanilla pod)
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 4 cups flour (20 oz), plus more for dusting surface
  • 1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Vegetable oil or cooking spray
  • For the Filling:
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 2 apples (I used Braeburn), peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp Jack Daniels (optional but highly recommended; can omit)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Pinch salt
  • For the Icing:
  • 2.5 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 2-3 tsp Jack Daniels (optional; can replace with milk)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, beat the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, vanilla, buttermilk and half the flour together until well combined. Add yeast, salt, and the next 1 1/4 cup flour (leaving about 3/4 cup remaining) and knead on low for 5 minutes.
  2. Add additional flour by the spoonful if necessary - you want the dough soft and moist but not overly sticky. Knead another 5 minutes until the dough clears the sides of the bowl (but might still stick to the bottom a bit).
  3. Transfer dough to a lightly greased, large bowl and let double, 2-2.5 hours.
  4. Just before the dough is finished, make the filling. Melt the butter in a large saute pan and add the diced apple. Crumble 1/2 cup of brown sugar over top and stir in the cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and Jack Daniels. Simmer for 10 minutes, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and set aside to cool.
  5. Spray or butter a 9-inch pan. Turn out the dough onto your lightly floured work surface. Stretch and roll the dough into a ~12x18 rectangle with the long edge nearest to you.
  6. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar over the dough, leaving the top 1-inch bare. Spread the cooled apple mixture over the dough.
  7. Starting with the edge of the dough closest to you, roll the dough into a cylinder and pinch the the seam to seal. Gently press, squeeze, and stretch the roll to get an even thickness.
  8. Cut the roll into 1 1/2-inch slices and place in the baking dish (you'll get 12 rolls). Cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  9. Place the rolls in the oven with the heat off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3 full of boiling water and place it on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven and let the rolls rise for ~30 minutes.
  10. Remove the water pan and rolls from the oven and preheat the oven to 350.
  11. Bake rolls on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
  12. While the rolls are cooling, beat the cream cheese, milk, Jack Daniels (to taste, 1-2 tsp at a time), and powdered sugar together until smooth. Drizzle over the rolls and serve.
  13. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, tightly covered. Rewarm in the microwave for best results.

Notes

Yields: 12 rolls

Adapted from Overnight Cinnamon Rolls