warm dark light at the kitchen area - that's my dream thing
Rhubarb, Mascarpone and hazelnut tartlets
1/4 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
50g hazelnuts
3 heaped tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons Frangelico liqueur
8 stalks fresh rhubarb, chopped into 2.5cm/1" pieces
3 tablespoons caster sugar
Pre-rolled vanilla bean/sweet shortcrust pastry
Pre-heat oven to 200˚C (392˚F).
Butter 4 individual non-stick tartlet tins (the ones I used measured 12.7cm/5" round) and line with pre-rolled pastry. Place a small sheet of non-stick baking parchment into each then fill with baking beads or something heavy like rice or coins and blind-bake for 15 minutes in pre-heated oven before removing paper/rice etc. then baking for a further 5 minutes. Remove pastry cases from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Place hazelnuts onto a baking tray and toast for 10-15 minutes then remove from oven and blitz to a fine/medium sandy texture in a food processor, or chop by hand.
Combine flour, brown sugar, Mascarpone, vanilla bean paste, and Frangelico along with the ground hazelnuts in a bowl and stir thoroughly to combine into a thick paste.
Place chopped rhubarb and caster sugar into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and strain juices into a bowl through a strainer, retaining both stewed fruit and liquid. Return the latter to the pan and continue simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by 3/4 and you are left with a very thick, glossy syrup.
Spoon a heaped tablespoon of hazelnut paste into each tartlet case and smooth over base, repeat with other cases and paste then top with stewed rhubarb.
Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and rhubarb fully cooked.
To serve brush top of tartlets with reduced rhubarb syrup and serve warm with cream.
