One of the sure signs of spring for me is the arrival of rhubarb. Its vibrant color and exuberant flavor sends me right into the kitchen with great anticipation. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Rhubarb Compote, and Rhubarb Crisp are all perennial favorites. This Spring I wanted all of that and something new. I came up with a Rhubarb Frangipane Tart.

My Rhubarb Frangipane Tart consists of a shortbread cookie crust, a moist almond filling, and a topping of cooked rhubarb. This tart would encompass a wedding of textures, flavors, and colors and the perfect ending of a spring dinner menu. A menu that might start with an appetizer of chilled cooked asparagus in vinaigrette dressing (maybe finished off with some finely chopped hard boiled egg and crispy bacon) followed by a garlicky leg of lamb with white bean puree and roasted tomatoes.

Then bring on the lovely tart served with a dollop of softly whipped cream or several spoonfuls of custard sauce. But that happy ending is just a beginning for this tart just as rhubarb is a harbinger of all the berries and stone fruits soon to come over the course of the season.

Since almonds are so flavor friendly with so many other fruits the basic tart makes a great foundation for fresh berries, ripe peaches, baked plums, nectarines, and cherry compote. If you choose to top the tart with fresh berries or fruit, a nice touch is to brush the topping with some apricot preserves heated up in a saucepan.

There are a few more bonuses to this recipe:

 • The tart crust is shortbread cookie dough and if you make extra or have some left over you simply shape it and bake it. Form balls with a small scoop or roll out and cut shapes and bake it at 350 degrees until lightly colored and firm to the touch.

 • The frangipane filling can be used as a filling for butter basted baked peaches, nectarines or plums.

 • The rhubarb topping can be served with a slice of cake, spooned over ice cream, or enjoyed as a midnight snack right out of the refrigerator!

The Shortbread Cookie Crust:

This recipe may be doubled for extra crust or cookie dough. If you want to keep any aside, wrap in plastic and set in a cool place where it will hold for several days. You may chill it but it will become very hard and take several hours to soften enough to handle.

1 cup (8 oz) chilled sweet butter
½ cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt

Cut the butter into 1-inch chunks and place in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated. If the butter is very cold, this may take a minute or so for the lumps to smooth out. Add the flour and salt and, on low speed, mix until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface and roll it into a circle about an inch larger than your tart pan. I like to do this on a piece of parchment or waxed paper because I can pick up the paper and "drape" the dough onto the pan and gently peel away the paper. The pan should have a removable bottom and can be anywhere from 8 to 12 inches in diameter. Press the dough lightly into the pan and make sure the sides are neatly filled. Chill while you make the filling.

The Frangipane Filling:

1 ½ cups sliced almonds
½ cup (4 oz) soft butter
1 ½ tablespoons all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Pulse the almonds in a food processor until medium fine. Add the remaining ingredients and process for 1 minute. Spoon the filling into the prepared tart shell. It should fill the shell almost to the top (leave about a 1/4 inch space). Bake the tart at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Time will vary with different ovens but the filling should be golden brown and feel firm (not hard) to the touch. Set aside to cool.

Rhubarb Topping:

2 pounds rhubarb
1 cup sugar

Chop off any leaves and rough ends from the rhubarb and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place the rhubarb and the sugar in a pot and cover. Cook over medium heat until tender, stirring often.
When tender, uncover and turn up the heat and cook and stir constantly until the rhubarb is thick and holds a shape when dropped onto a saucer (this takes a minute or two). Remove to a bowl and chill thoroughly.

Put it all together...

Remove the tart from its pan and place on a plate. Spoon the rhubarb onto the top of the baked tart, spreading it evenly. Chill until ready to serve. Cut into wedges. The finished tart will keep nicely, chilled, for 2 days.