Recipe: Rhubarb shortbread

Remember that excess rhubarb you harvested earlier in the year and stashed in the freezer? Well now’s your chance to use it up! Garden volunteer Gail’s rhubarb shortbread is the perfect summer treat – delicious and super easy to make. 

Makes 9 -12 pieces

Ingredients

For the shortbread

125g unsalted butter, softened

125g plain flour

25g cornflour

2 level tablespoons of icing sugar, sieved

For the topping

250g rhubarb, chopped into small pieces   

2 eggs, beaten

25g plain flour

150g demerara sugar

Few drops of Madagascan vanilla extract 

Method

Before you get started

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4
2. Line a 23cm square tin baking parchment

To make the shortbread

1. Mix the butter, flour, and cornflour together until they come together to form a dough. The easiest way to do this is in free-standing mixer, but a bowl and wooden spoon would also do.
2. Press the shortbread evenly into the bottom of the tin
3. Prick with a fork and cook for 15 – 20 mins until the edges are beginning to brown and the middle still looks quite pale.

To make the topping

1. Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl
2. Pour onto the shortbread base
3. Place shortbread back into the oven and cook for a further 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown
4. Allow to cool in the tin before cutting into squares or bars