Streusel Topped Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart
In the Spring I truly cannot get enough rhubarb. The sweet/tart balance is so wonderful to play with and while we usually see this within the realm of citrus fruit, here it is in a totally different form. This tart is comprised of a sweet crust, a creamy cheese filling, a layer of rhubarb and then a crunchy, nutty streusel. This was created, by request, for my son Forrester. Not pertinent for you perhaps, but I mention it because developing new recipes for friends and family is one of my greatest pleasures and I love to encourage this kind of creativity in the kitchen.
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chilled heavy cream
- 4 cups of ¼-inch to ½-inch thick slices rhubarb (about 1 pound)
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1, 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ¾ cup sliced almonds
- ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- For the Crust: Coat the inside of a 10-inch fluted, loose-bottom tart pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
- Add flour, sugar, and salt to bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade and pulse on and off to combine. Add butter pieces and pulse on and off until a coarse meal forms. Add egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of the cream. Pulse a few more times until moist clumps form. Only add more cream if dough is dry. Gather dough into a ball. Press dough evenly into prepared tart pan evenly along bottom and up the sides. Pierce crust all over with fork. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- For the Rhubarb and Cheesecake Fillings:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss all of the rhubarb filling ingredients together in bowl to blend. Let stand while preparing cheesecake filling.
- Beat cream cheese with electric mixer in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and beat until lightened, then beat in egg and vanilla. Fold in sour cream just until blended.
- Bake chilled crust for about 20 minutes or until just beginning to color. If any crust bubbles up, simply press back down with the back of a fork.. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- Scrape cheesecake filling into warm crust and spread into an even layer, then top with rhubarb filling, also making an even layer. Bake for about 30 minutes, while you make streusel.
- For the Streusel: Melt butter in wide skillet or pan over medium heat until golden, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Do not let it burn. You will know it is browned enough when it has darkened a little and smells almost nutty. Remove from heat and stir in almonds, sugar, and cinnamon until combined. Stir in flour until moist clumps form.
- After the tart has baked for 30 minutes, bring it to the stovetop. Create clumps of streusel by pressing it together with fingers and scatter streusel evenly over rhubarb and return tart to oven. Bake until filling is bubbling and streusel is crisp and golden brown, about 30 minutes more. Cool tart on rack for at least 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Bakepedia Tips
I didn’t think that baking the rhubarb filling on top of the cheesecake filling would work, but I tried it anyway and TADA it did! And it will work for you. Cuts very cleanly, too. That’s what I am here for folks; doing the hard work for you. Enjoy.
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