Rhubarb Galette

Craving a sweet, tangy dessert that’s comes together quickly (in 10 minutes) and is perfect for two? This Rhubarb and Custard Galette (or tarts), with its flaky puff pastry crust and creamy vanilla custard topped with tart rhubarb, makes small batch baking deceptively easy and delicious.  Skip the pie plate and make this elegant tart for a special occasion dessert or whenever you have rhubarb on hand.

What is a Galette?

If you’ve never heard of a galette before, you're in for a treat. A galette is a term used in French cuisine to describe various types of flat, round, or freeform cakes. When it comes to desserts, a galette usually refers to a rustic, free-form tart that is as delightful to make as it is to eat.

The Beauty of a Galette:

One of the best things about a galette is its simplicity. Unlike a pie, which requires a pie dish and often involves crimping and trimming, a galette is wonderfully free-form. You roll out your dough, pile your filling in the center, and fold or pinch the edges over. No special equipment, no fuss—just pure, rustic charm.

Rhubarb Galette Kitchen Notes

Rhubarb and custard, what can I say, the perfect example of two ingredients that bring out the best in each other. 

The custard exaggerates the rhubarb’s vibrant sharpness and is just divine.  The galette or tarts are also deceptively easy to make and it’s a recipe I use year-round with all sorts of fruit through the seasons.  Read the fruit galette variations section for more inspiration.

I’ve streamlined the galette making process by using store-bought frozen puff pastry, so you can skip the labor-intensive, time-consuming homemade pastry and still enjoy a deliciously impressive treat.  Believe it or not, but this comes together in under 10 minutes!

Do you have more rhubarb to harvest or use?  One option is to freeze it for a future use  or try your hand at one of these small batch baking rhubarb recipes like Rhubarb Cherry Crisp or Rhubarb Lemon Loaf Cake.

What you'll need

Looking for a delightful dessert that’s has only 7 ingredients, is easy to make and perfect for two? Look no further than our rhubarb custard dessert!   Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Whole milk
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Cornstarch
• Store bought puff pastry sheet - Using frozen puff pastry is a game-changer. It saves time and effort while delivering a flaky, buttery crust that pairs beautifully with the sweet and tangy rhubarb custard filling. Forming an attractive crust is as easy as folding over the edges of the pastry—no special skills required!
• Rhubarb –when picking rhubarb look for the younger, redder, thinner stalks.  These stalks are more tender and sweeter, perfect for baking into your rhubarb and custard galette.
• Apricot jam – a simple glaze made from apricot jam and a small amount of water is a perfect final touch, bringing an attractive sheen and fruity tartness to our galette.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Rhubarb Custard Tart for Two

For an ultra-easy rhubarb custard galette dessert for two, bypass the labor-intensive, time-consuming homemade pastry and reach for store-bought frozen puff pastry.  It makes this elegant, dessert for two deceptively easy and delicious.

There are three steps to making any type of fruit and custard galette for two:

1. Start by making the vanilla tart custard
2. Prepare the galette crust using store-bought puff pastry
3. Assemble mini galette

Making Vanilla Tart Custard

Now that we have talked about using store-bought puff pastry for the galette crust it’s time to make the vanilla tart custard.  I know, I know, the thought of making custard seems intimidating, but it’s actually very simple. The key is to cook the egg yolks at a low temperature with warm sweetened milk, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Here’s how to do it:

1. Warm the milk.   In a saucepan pour in the milk and stir in the sugar.  Over a low heat, warm the milk until the sugar melts, being careful not to scald the milk. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract, giving it a stir to combine.

2. Whisk yolks and sugar together.  In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks with sugar until they go pale and fluffy, then add the cornstarch, whisking until combined.

3. Temper the yolks: Pour the hot milk little by little onto the yolk mixture, whisking constantly, this will ready the yolks for the heat ahead of cooking them. (photo)
4. Cook low and slow.  When all of the milk is mixed in, pour the egg mixture back into the pan and place on low heat.  SLOWLY warm the custard while constantly whisking and scraping the bottom of the pan until it thickens enough to really coat the back of a spoon. 

Combine egg yolks and sweetened milk in a saucepan and cook over low heat. Constant whisking is essential to achieve a smooth custard.

5. Push custard through a Sieve.  The minute the custard is thick and wobbly, take off the heat and immediately push the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to cool.

Galette Crust:

1. Prepare the Pastry: Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  You can either make one galette or individual tarts, so cut the sheet of puff pastry as you wish – I opt for using half of one pre-cut sheet and cut it into two sections.  This makes two individual tarts.

Transfer puff pastry to prepared sheet and fold edges of dough over by ¼ inch and crimp to create ¼-inch-thick border. 

2. Prebake the pastry:  the secret to the success of this tart is par baking the puff pastry.  Pop it in the preheated oven, for 9 minutes so it begins to puff and you’ll prevent a soggy galette crust bottom as the creamy custard and tart rhubarb bake.

Tip:  The par-baked puff pastry falls as it cools, but the edges will puff back up during the final bake.

Mini Galette Finishing Touches

1. Spread the Custard: Take a few spoons of the custard and spread generously over the inner square of pastry, being careful not to go over the edges. 

I like to add enough to create a thick layer (about ⅛-inch deep).

2. Layer Rhubarb: Cut the rhubarb into lengths and place on top of the custard, nestling them into the custard a bit. I like to cram as much rhubarb on as possible.

Make ahead tip:  You can make the galette up to this stage, then chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours until ready to bake.

3. Make apricot Glaze : Combine apricot jelly and water in a bowl and microwave until mixture begins to bubble, about 30 seconds. 

Brush glaze over rhubarb and the edges of the pastry.  This will ensure the pastry has a lovely sheen and helps it go golden brown.

4. Bake and Enjoy: Bake the galette until the pastry is golden and the rhubarb is tender. Let it cool slightly before serving to fully appreciate the wonderful blend of flavors and textures, but definitely serve while still warm.

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Store-bought Puff Pastry Tips

Store-bought frozen puff pastry is a game-changer—it's super convenient and works wonderfully. However, if you’re new to using it, there are a few tips to keep in mind to avoid minor hiccups.

First, for perfect puff, don’t let the pastry come to room temperature. The best method is to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight; this is foolproof. If you’re short on time, defrosting on the counter works too—just be careful not to leave it out too long. Depending on your kitchen’s temperature, it might take between 30 to 60 minutes to thaw.

Once thawed, the dough should unfold easily but still feel firm. If the seams crack, don’t worry—just roll them smooth with a rolling pin. And if the dough gets too warm and softens, pop it back in the freezer until it’s firm again. Following these simple steps will help you achieve that perfect, flaky puff pastry galette crust every time! 

How to Buy Rhubarb for Rhubarb Galette

Rhubarb season isn’t far off, and as a huge fan of those greenish-red stalks that make their appearance from late spring to early summer, here are some tips to help you navigate the rhubarb buying process like a pro. Given the relatively short season, it's important to know what to look for to ensure you’re getting the best rhubarb for your delicious rhubarb custard galette or tart.  Let’s talk about spotting the best rhubarb, the importance to remove the leaves, what to avoid, and storage tips.

Spotting the Best Rhubarb:

When you're at the grocery store or farmers' market, your first instinct might be to grab the fatter, greener stalks. After all, fat and green usually spell goodness when it comes to vegetables (yes, rhubarb is a vegetable!). But hold that thought! For rhubarb, the younger, redder, thinner stalks are what you want. These stalks are more tender and sweeter, perfect for baking into your rhubarb and custard galette.

Checking for Leaves:

Most farmers or grocery stores will have already removed the leaves from the rhubarb stalks because they contain high concentrations of oxalic acid, which is poisonous to humans. If you do spot leaves still attached, make sure to remove and discard them. While it would take a lot of rhubarb to cause any symptoms of poisoning, it's best to play it safe. So, goodbye leaves and good riddance!

What to Avoid:

Avoid stalks that are too fibrous or woody, which can be a sign of older, tougher rhubarb. You also want to steer clear of any stalks that are limp or have blemishes and cuts.

Storing Your Rhubarb

Once you’ve picked the perfect stalks, store them in the refrigerator wrapped in a damp paper towel and placed in a plastic bag. This will keep them fresh for up to a week, giving you plenty of time to whip up your galette.

Fruit Custard Tart Variations

This galette or tart recipe using store-bought puff pastry is deceptively easy to make and it’s a recipe I use year-round with all sorts of fruit throughout the seasons.  Here are a few of my favorites to make when rhubarb is not available:

• Raspberry custard tart – they are unbelievably good.  Simply follow the recipe but swap out rhubarb for raspberries, nestling them on top of the vanilla custard and painting the raspberries with the apricot jam thinned with a bit of water before baking.
• Blueberry custard tart –switch it up with blueberries, using the apricot jam glaze to paint the blueberries before baking.
• Pear custard tart – this is a surprisingly delicious combination.  Start at one corner of the pastry sheet, shingle sliced pears to form even rows across the dough, overlapping each slice by about half.  Paint the pears with the apricot jam glaze right before putting the galette in the oven.
• Strawberry custard tart – Similar to the pear custard tart, start at one corner, shingle sliced strawberries to form even rows , overlapping each slice by about half.  you could even mix strawberries with the rhubarb in this recipe – one stalk of rhubarb nestled next to a row of sliced strawberries.

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