When I was growing up, rhubarb was a pretty common ingredient in our desserts. As I started baking with it on my own, I always tried to give it a big and bold twist. Here the sweetness of orange curbs the tartness of the rhubarb, making them great flavor friends. These individual tarts are a relatively light end to a wonderful meal. Alternatively, you can make a single large pie; just fit the dough into a 9-inch pie pan.
Makes 9 mini tarts
1 In a medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb, sugar, water, and orange zest and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender. Set aside to cool.
2 Generously butter nine 4-inch individual tart pans. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pie dough to a little thinner than ¼ inch thick. Using a 4½-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 9 circles. Place them in your tart tins and press the dough into the edges. With a fork, prick the dough all over to stop it from puffing up during baking. Put the tart shells on a baking sheet and chill for at least 1 hour.
3 When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC).
4 Line each tart shell with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or other weights.
5 Bake the tart shells for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and bake for 4 to 5 minutes more, until the pastry is golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.
6 Fill each cooled tart shell with pastry cream almost to the top, then spoon 2 tablespoons of the rhubarb over each tart.
7 Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days.