Rhubarb Pastries

After a visit to the Food School where they had made some rhubarb pastries, it was requested that I tried to recreate the pastries at home. I watched the Easter Bake Off Masterclass where Paul Hollywood made some custard tarts and wanted to give them a try - so to keep him at home happy I made the rhubarb pastries first after finding a recipe for them on another blog. So I've merged the two recipes - the custard from the Bake Off and the rest of the pastry recipe from the blog! This makes 6 pastries.

You need for the custard:

• 60g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tbsp cornflour
• small pinch of salt
• 180ml of whole milk
• vanilla pod
  
• 1 small cinnamon stick

1. Whisk the sugar, egg yolks, cornflour and salt together and set aside. Put the milk in a large pan with the vanilla pod (split in half, with the seeds scraped into the milk) and the cinnamon stick.
   
2. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. Pass the hot milk through a sieve to remove the cinnamon stick and vanilla pod, then pour the hot milk over the egg mixture and whisk together.
   
3. Return this mixture to the pan. Put back on a gentle heat and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture becomes thick. Remove from the heat immediately and beat for a minute to get rid of any lumps. Leave to cool.
   

 For the pastries:

• 250g puff pastry
• I used a tin of rhubarb as it was out of season though you could use 2 stems fresh
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• Icing sugar

1. Pre-heat oven to 220oC.
2. Roll the pastry to about 4-5mm thin and cut into 6 rectangles.Score a border about 1cm in from the edge of your pastry rectangle and prick the inside of this area well with a fork.
3. Place your pastries on a baking tray and cook for approximately 10-15 mins. 
4. Remove from oven and press the inside of the borders down with a fork carefully until they are flat but take care to keep the frame intact.
5. Turn the oven down to 180oC.
6. Drain the rhubarb and stew it with the caster sugar in a large saucepan, until it is soft and jammy.
7. Layer the stewed rhubarb into the pastry cases and then top with the home made custard!
8. Layer the fillings in all the cases and bake in the oven for about 10-15 mins until the custard is set.  Wobble the tray a little bit and if it feels firm then you should be good.
9. Leave to cool on the rack and then dust with icing sugar.

 They turned out a treat!!!