from Cake & Loaf Gatherings
Rhubarb is just starting to come into season in May and featuring this underused fruit is easy with these bars. The shortbread crust and creamy custard balance out the rhubarb’s sourness perfectly. We make this custard bar with many different fruits throughout the seasons. Peach and strawberry are two other fruits that work well, and you can switch out the same amount of those fruits in these bars.
Ingredients
Shortbread Base:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
Custard Filling:
1¼ cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whipping (35%) cream
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 pound (450 g) rhubarb, thick stalks halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1½-inch pieces (3½ cups)
Fluffy Cream Cheese Icing:
½ cup whipping (35%) cream
1½ cups Dreamy Cream Cheese Icing (see below)
Dreamy Cream Cheese Icing:
3½ cups icing sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1¾ pounds (790 g/3½ cups) cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes, room temperature
To finish:
1 teaspoon strawberry crisp pearls
1 teaspoon white chocolate crisp pearls
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with canola oil cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
Make the shortbread base: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Press the shortbread mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the top of the shortbread looks dry but not brown. Allow to cool while you prepare the filling.
Make the custard filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour until combined. Whisk in the cream until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Set aside.
Evenly spread the rhubarb over the cooled shortbread base. Pour the custard filling over the rhubarb. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the custard is firm and lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature and then cover the pan with beeswax or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before icing.
Make the Dreamy Cream Cheese Icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the icing sugar and butter. Starting with the mixer on low speed and slowly increasing to high speed to avoid creating an icing powder storm, mix until combined. Then beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
With the mixer on medium-high speed, add the cream cheese in 3 additions, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. When the cream cheese has been fully incorporated, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat the icing for just 1 more minute.
Ice and finish the bars: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the whipping cream on medium-high speed until it forms stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the whipped cream to a small bowl.
Return the bowl to the stand mixer (you don’t need to wipe the bowl or whisk clean). Add the dreamy cream cheese icing to the bowl and whip for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed to fluff up the icing. Gently fold the whipped cream into the fluffy icing. Using a small offset palette knife, spread the icing evenly over the top of the cooled bar. Evenly sprinkle the strawberry and white chocolate crisp pearls over the bar.
Cut the bars using a warm chef’s knife by dipping it into hot water and drying it on a clean kitchen towel. Wipe the knife between each cut to get nice clean cuts.
Makes one 8-inch square pan; nine 2½-inch square bars • Prep: 25 minutes, plus cooling and chilling time • Cook: 60 minutes.
NOTE: Do Ahead: These bars can be baked and stored un-iced, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can make the cream cheese icing ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, but don’t fold it with the whipped cream until you are ready to ice and serve the bars. Iced bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Dreamy Cream Cheese Icing: It is essential to use soft, room-temperature cream cheese to avoid lumps and achieve perfectly smooth icing. If your kitchen is cool, you may want to microwave the cream cheese for 30 seconds to remove the chill. This sweet but slightly tart versatile icing is great to have on hand to spread on cakes, swap out for buttercream in cake fillings, fill sandwich cookies, or use as a dip for cookies or fruit platters.
Do Ahead: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If refrigerated, let soften at room temperature. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to use, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat on high speed for 5 to 10 minutes.
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: Don’t want all the fuss of making every step from scratch? Purchase store-bought icing and custard – not as fresh and homemade as the real thing but if time is of the essence, take shortcuts!
Excerpted from Cake & Loaf gatherings : sweet and savoury recipes to celebrate every occasion by Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham. Copyright © 2023 Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham. Photography and illustrations by Nickey Miller. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/625183/cake-and-loaf-gatherings-by-nickey-miller-and-josie-rudderham/9780735239852
