Good Ol' Summertime Rhubarb Custard Dessert With Cookie Crust

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed

Filling

• 8 cups diced rhubarb (one long, thick stalk will generally yield about one cup of 'barb)

Custard

• 6 egg yolks (whites are used in the meringue)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk or cream
• 1/2 cup flour

Meringue

• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar (2 tsp at a time)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350; butter a 13x9 pan.

2. 2

   Cream butter with flours and sugar, spread in prepared pan, pressing into corners and bottom; bake for 5-10 minutes (it will get bubbly--sort of).

3. 3

   While that is cooking, cut up the rhubarb.

4. 4

   In a blender or a mixer bowl, beat eggs until foamy and fluffy, add sugar and continue mixing, then add other ingredients until thick and rich; set aside (rewhip right before pouring into pan with rhubarb).

5. 5

   When crust is baked, spread rhubarb pieces evenly (press lightly into crust--lightly!); pour custard over rhubarb; return pan to the oven for 45 minutes (knife poked in middle comes out clean).

6. 6

   While THAT is cooking, prepare meringue; beat eggs until forming soft (firm) peaks, adding sugar 2 teaspoons at a time, then salt and vanilla last, mixing until stiff.

7. 7

   At end of baking time, remove pan from oven, turn heat up to 425; spread meringue over rhubarb/custard, smooth with a spoon into pretty swirls.

8. 8

   Brown for five minutes; set the timer--it can burn very quickly!

9. 9

   VARIATIONS: Skip the meringue and use whole eggs in the custard; switch out some of the rhubarb for strawberries or raspberries; use all white flour instead of wholewheat in the crust.