What you’ll need

1 x 10” plate

Ingredients

Pastry

• 9 oz plain flour
• 4 ½ oz butter
• 1 teaspoon icing sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg + 3-6 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 1 ½ – 2lbs rhubarb, washed, dried and sliced
• Demerara sugar, about 6oz
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. To make the pastry put the flour in a bowl, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add the sugar and salt.
4. eat the egg with half of the water and add, mix in with a knife and bring together with your hand. It may need a little more water. There should be just enough liquid to make the mixture come together.
5. Alternatively, using a food processor, blitz the flour and butter together with the sugar and salt. Add the egg mixture and blitz until it just starts coming together.
6. Divide the pastry in two and wrap in cling film, rest in the fridge for about 15 -20 minutes.The resting allows the gluten in the flour to relax so that the pastry is easier to roll out.
7. On a floured surface, roll out half of the pastry just large enough to fit the plate.
8. Roll the pastry up on the rolling pin and then lay on the plate (no need to grease).
9. Add the rhubarb directly on to the pastry, add the sugar and a good sprinkling of cinnamon.
10. Roll out the other half of the pastry, dampen the edges of the pastry on the plate with water and using the rolling pin, lay the other piece on top.
11. Press down around the edges and then crimp the edges together with a knife to seal. Cut a little hole in the top.
12. Place on a tray and then bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until light golden brown.
13. Dust with caster or icing sugar before serving.

Notes

I love to bake this when the rhubarb is season, usually March to May here in Northern Ireland.