Rhubarb frangipane pie recipe

A delicious seasonal tart: rhubarb pie with frangipane. This recipe for a rhubarb tart is not difficult to make and is absolutely delicious when finished. Let’s get the rhubarb season started!

Rhubarb Tart with Frangipane

This was the first time I’d used frangipane in a tart, and I hadn’t fully considered that it expands in the oven. Frangipane is similar to almond paste, but slightly richer due to the addition of butter. The main ingredient for frangipane is ground almonds.

Because it expanded, my super neat rhubarb pattern disappeared (I was going for geometric patterns. Can you tell?)

Fortunately, it didn’t affect the flavor at all, and we enjoyed this rhubarb frangipane tart. I took it to a reunion with my South Africa travel buddies and they unanimously approved! You can try and make diamond shapes as well by cutting the rhubarb at an angle.

BAKING TIP: To get the edges nice and golden brown, brush them with egg wash. I prefer to use a silicone pastry brush for this because they are easy to clean and dishwasher safe.

What you need for making the rhubarb recipe

Keep in mind that in order to make this rhubarb pie you need to follow two additional recipes. One for the shortcrust pastry and one for the almond frangipane. I’ve linked the recipes below.

And don’t worry, they’re both incredibly easy recipes! As always make sure to have the ingredients at room temperature unless the recipe tells you not to.

• Fresh rhubarb stalks – if you can get your hands on the beautiful pink ones, that is always the best look
• shortcrust pastry – use the shortcrust pastry recipe here. This will make it a deliciously flaky crust
• frangipane – check the frangipane recipe here
• lemon juice – you can also add a bit of orange zest to the frangipane
• vanilla sugar

Since I’ve turned this into a free form rhubarb pie you don’t need a tart pan but if you want you can definitely bake it in a tart tin or similar.

The fun part about making a free form is that you can make any shape you like. Want a flower shape? Go crazy or turn the tart shell into whatever pattern you want.

Making Rhubarb Pie

Not using a baking pan makes this recipe super easy to prepare. Just shape the shortcrust pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I use the parchment to partially fold the dough over the filling so it doesn’t stick to your hands and you’re less likely to tear it. This makes each pie look a little different, but always nice and rustic.

I made this rhubarb pie inspired by a French recipe for a “galette rhubarbe”: a rhubarb galette. Because of the way you make this rhubarb tart you do not blind bake the crust.

If you do bake this in a tin you can consider blind baking the crust first using pie weights. Make sure to use a tin with a removable bottom to make it easier to remove from the baking pan.

The difference with making this on the parchment paper is that the heat gets to the crust much better than when you use a tin. Making it unnecessary to blind bake.

What is a galette?

A galette is a type of round, flat pie where the edges are always folded inward (partly over the filling). A galette is a French recipe, and they can be either savory or sweet, so there are a lot of possibilities.

This rhubarb and frangipane galette is, of course, totally sweet!

Rhubarb Recipes

In addition to this rhubarb tart, I have made many other rhubarb recipes. From a delicious crumble cake to a simple jam. Rhubarb is very versatile, so you can do a lot with it. Try the recipes below as well and there will be more recipes following now that rhubarb season has started.

• Rhubarb Crumble
• Making Rhubarb Jam