VANILLA RHUBARB HAND TARTS

MAKES 14 TARTS

I’VE NEVER BEEN ONE FOR FUSSY, incredibly refined desserts, always preferring a rustic hand tart any day of the week. And rhubarb is one of my favorite ingredients to bake with, so these are right up my alley. People often seem to feel the need to pair rhubarb with something else, as if you need to swoop in and save it, but in reality the tart stalks need very little to accompany them. This filling is a simple mixture of the vibrant rhubarb—which I par-roast to remove some of the moisture—a little sugar, lemon juice, and lots of vanilla bean. The dough is very similar to a pie dough except I use a good bit of vegan cream cheese to make it supereasy to handle and roll out. Each tart will be a little irregular, so don’t feel the need to make these perfect: they can be wonky and are all the more delicious for it. Serve with coconut whipped cream, ice cream, or a good cup of coffee at the end of a meal. And I have to admit that they make a pretty fine breakfast the next morning, too.

CRUST

6 tablespoons vegan butter, cut into chunks and chilled

1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ cup cold water

¼ cup vegan cream cheese, cut into chunks and chilled

FILLING

2 pounds rhubarb, sliced into ½-inch slices

1 cup sugar

4 vanilla beans, sliced down the middle and seeds scraped out for use

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

WASH

¼ cup unsweetened plain almond milk

1. Prepare the crust first: In a food processor, combine the butter, flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the cold water and cream cheese and pulse a few more times until the ingredients have been combined; the mixture may still be a little loose. Transfer the mixture to a floured board and mix once more with your hands. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rhubarb, sugar, vanilla seeds, and lemon juice, stirring well. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

4. Once the mixture is cool, remove your dough from the fridge. Unwrap the dough and knead it once or twice on a board. If the dough is still a little loose, you may sprinkle it with a little water to help bring it together. Divide the dough into 1½-inch balls. On a floured board, using a rolling pin, roll out the balls until each is 3½ to 4 inches in diameter. Place about ¼ cup of the rhubarb mixture onto the middle of each dough round, and begin folding the edges in and over the filling, leaving a small opening in the middle. These are meant to be hand formed and a little rustic looking, so don’t worry if they all look a little different. I start by folding an edge inward, and then begin moving around the dough round, folding a little bit of dough back onto the edge I just created until I have made it all the way around.

5. Brush each tart with a little bit of the milk wash (you can also sprinkle with some additional sugar), and transfer to a parchment paper–or silicone mat–lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust starts to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack or plate.

6. To make ahead, the tarts can be frozen on a baking sheet while still raw and kept in the freezer for up to 6 months. Fully thaw before following the above baking instructions.