Rhubarb and loganberry crumble tart

Rhubarb and loganberry crumble tart is simply delicious! I first came across the combination of rhubarb and loganberries purely by chance and it is still one of my favourites. If you are not able to get hold of loganberries, then raspberries work just as well and make a good substitution. The tart is made with a sweet shortcrust pastry and the addition of oats and pumpkin seeds to the crumble topping give this dessert a "healthy" feel.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 160g plain flour
• 80g butter or margarine
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the filling:

• 150g rhubarb (approx)
• 220g loganberries (approx)
• 1 dessertspoon Demerara sugar

For the crumble topping:

• 80g wholemeal flour
• 40g margarine
• 40g Demerara sugar (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top)
• 20g oats
• 18g pumpkin seeds (plus a few extra to sprinkle on top)

How to make rhubarb and loganberry crumble tart

To make the pastry:

Rub the butter/margarine into the flour (or use a food processor). Add the icing sugar, egg and vanilla essence and combine to form a dough. It may be necessary to add a little water if it is too dry. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for around 30 minutes.

After it has chilled, roll out and line a 20cm loose bottomed flan dish.

To prepare the fruit filling:

Cut the rhubarb into pieces about 1 cm long. Place in a pan with the Demerara sugar and a dessertspoon of water. Simmer until soft. Set aside to cool.

To prepare the crumble topping:

Rub the margarine into the flour (or use a food processor). Add the sugar, oats and pumpkin seeds and mix.

To assemble the crumble tart:

Place the loganberries and the rhubarb over the base of the pastry case.

Spread the crumble mixture over the fruit, making sure that all the fruit is covered. Sprinkle some Demerara sugar and a few extra pumpkin seeds over the top.

How to cook:

Heat the oven to gas mark 4, 180oC, 350oF. Place the crumble tart on a baking sheet and cook at the bottom of the oven until the crumble and the edge of the pastry case start to turn golden. This may take around 15 to 20 minutes. For an Aga, cook on the floor of the roasting oven for 5 minutes and then move to the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven until cooked.

The crumble tart is delicious either hot or cold.

You may also like to try raspberry cheesecake or raspberry frangipane.