Just sweet enough: Pair rhubarb with raspberries in this stunning tart

Rhubarb, the perennial vegetable with its characteristic red stalks, is primarily available in a short window of spring. It can be baked, pickled, poached or otherwise cooked and still retain the delightfully tart flavor it’s known for. Often, it is paired with sweet strawberries to tame its sharpness.

In this eye-catching tart recipe, raspberries (and raspberry jam) are swapped in, along with lemon, to lend an assertive, bright flavor. Raspberries are the co-star here for a very specific reason: Their decidedly sharp flavor is a fantastic counterpart that reinforces the flavor on all counts. “Raspberries have an intensity that strawberries don’t. They make you pucker up in a really pleasant way, especially paired with the rhubarb,” says pastry chef Caroline Schiff.

The development of this recipe has been more than a decade in the making. I was working as a pastry cook for chef Shelly Barbera at the time, and she was workshopping a frangipane galette with a mix of raspberries and rhubarb. The two flavors intertwined with one another, making for an enticing combination of tartness on tartness with a gentle sweetness from the frangipane batter.

What struck me the most was that it wasn’t the same old strawberry-rhubarb pairing. The flavor combination left an impression, which eventually influenced this recipe. The acidic rhubarb was paired with something that wasn’t used to mask its flavor but embolden it. In this dessert, the rhubarb is given the ability to shine, while raspberries bring just the right amount of sweetness. “They also have a bit more complexity in flavor notes, especially if you’re using supermarket berries,” says Schiff, and they “generally give you more bang for your buck in the flavor department.”

Lemon, in the form of zest and juice, is used as a background flavor to hype up the two predominant ingredients. A defrosted, store-bought puff pastry dough makes the overall assembly process a bit easier. (Homemade pie dough or a rough puff dough can be swapped in, if preferred.) A quick mixer-free batter keeps the jammy filling from seeping through the dough, and a sprinkle of coarse sugar gives a slight caramelization to the flaky crust. The unsweetened whipped crème fraîche is an absolutely delightful finish, offering a creaminess that cuts through the acidic notes just right. Every component serves a purpose in this dessert that is just sweet enough, particularly for those who say they aren’t “dessert people.”

•••

Raspberry-Rhubarb Sheet Pan Tart

One (14-ounce) package puff pastry, preferably all butter, such as Dufour, defrosted in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or according to the package instructions

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons turbinado or demerara sugar, divided

Pinch fine salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest (from 1 lemon), divided

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from the same lemon), divided

½ cup (120 grams) plus 1 tablespoon crème fraîche or whole Greek yogurt, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste, divided

1 large egg

1 pound (454 grams) rhubarb (3 to 4 stalks), cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3½ cups)

½ cup (155 grams) raspberry jam or preserves (with or without seeds)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Generous 1 cup (6 ounces/170 grams) raspberries

¼ cup (60 milliliters) heavy cream

Confectioners’ sugar, for serving (optional)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Dust a sheet of parchment paper generously with flour, transfer the defrosted pastry to the paper and roll out the dough into a roughly 12-by-14-inch (30-by-36-centimeter) rectangle. With the tip of a sharp paring knife, score an approximately ½-inch (1.25-centimeter) border around the dough, being careful not to cut through it. Using the tines of a fork, prick (dock) the center of the dough inside the border roughly every 2 inches. Transfer the parchment paper with the dough to a large sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 3 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon of the turbinado sugar and the salt. Add the softened butter, and, using a flexible spatula, work in the butter until it’s fully incorporated. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest, 1½ tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the crème fraîche and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. In a small bowl, beat the egg, and pour all but about 1 tablespoon into the bowl with the flour mixture, then stir until a batter forms.

In a medium bowl, stir together the rhubarb, jam, the remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice, and cornstarch until the rhubarb is completely coated in the jammy slurry. Gently stir in the raspberries until evenly distributed. (It’s okay if some of the berries are a little crushed, but try to keep them somewhat intact.)

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a pastry brush, brush the entire border with the remaining 1 tablespoon of egg, taking care to avoid the score lines so they don’t seal back up. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar around the border. Pour the batter into the interior of the tart and smooth into an even layer. Give the rhubarb mixture a quick stir to redistribute the juices, then spoon in an even layer over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan from front to back, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until the rhubarb is soft and the filling is set, another 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently slide the tart still on the parchment onto a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the heavy cream to medium peaks (it should hold its shape fairly well but not be stiff enough to stand upright), then gently fold in the remaining ½ cup of crème fraîche and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Dust the tart with confectioners’ sugar, if using, slice into 8 triangular pieces (you can do this by cutting four rectangles, then halving each one) and serve, with the whipped crème fraîche on the side.

Servings: 8 (makes one 12-by-14-inch tart)

Active time: 50 mins. Total time: 2 hours 30 mins, including chilling and cooling time

Make ahead: The rolled-out puff pastry needs to be refrigerated for 30 minutes.

Storage: The tart is best the day it’s made, but leftovers can be reheated in a 350°F oven on a wire rack set inside a sheet pan.

Where to buy: Dufour puff pastry can be found in the freezer aisle at well-stocked supermarkets.

Substitutions: For fresh raspberries, use frozen raspberries. For raspberry jam, use strawberry jam. For turbinado or demerara sugar, use granulated sugar.

Nutritional facts per piece: Calories: 438, Fat: 29 g, Saturated Fat: 17 g, Carbohydrates: 41 g, Sodium: 215 mg, Cholesterol: 83 mg, Protein: 5 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 19 g.

— Ben Weiner