This recipe is originally called "Rhubarb, Blueberry and Strawberry Shortcake Pie" (adapted from Dean Brettschneider's "Pie"), I just made it a bit more plain, since I'm a big fan of rhubarb, though it can be made with any other sort of fruits or berries, or a ready made canned pie filling of your choice.
This shortcake has fantastic soft and delicate melt-in-mouth crust, unlike regular crispy shortcakes. Rhubarb filling gives it sweet and tart note.
Ingredients:
Shortcake:
125 g softened butter
125 g caster sugar
1 egg
225 g plain flour
25 g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
Filling:
3-4 stalks rhubarb (400 g)
1 tbsp sugar
175 ml water
1 x 30 g sachet sweetened instant rhubarb flavoured custard powder (kissel)**
**or
1 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1-2 tbsp cold water + 2 extra tbsp sugar
Method:
Trim and slice the rhubarb, put it in a saucepan with water.
Bring to boil, add the sugar.
Simmer over a low heat until tender, add the kissel powder (or dissolved cornflour). Simmer, stirring, until thickens.
Remove from heat, leave to cool to room temperature.
To make a shortcake, put the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
Sift in the flour, cornflour and baking powder and beat until just mixed.
Scoop two-thirds of the dough into a 22 cm greased pie tin (line with parchment if necessary), press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides, approximately 3 cm high (the dough will be a bit sticky, so make sure your hands are dry when pressing it into the tin).
Spread the rhubarb mixture over shortcake base, leaving some space from the sides.
Fold the sides of the pastry slightly inward, to make some kind of a border, then dab pinches of remaining dough over the top, allowing a little fruit to peep through.
Bake in a preheated oven (180 C, fan 160 C) for about 35 - 40 minutes or until shortcake is a light golden brown colour.
Remove from oven and allow to cool at least for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack, and then onto a plate.
Serve warm, hot or cold, dusted with icing sugar, if desired.
Bon Appetit!
