the butter lab's matzo halva rhubarb tart
Every Passover, I wish there were a dessert that was light and seasonal and quintessentially pesach-y—some alternative to the conventional flourless chocolate cake, which always feels so rich and heavy after all the brisket and potatoes and tears of affliction.
This year, I finally came up with that dessert: a halva mousse tart with a salty matzo crust, topped with whipped cream and macerated rhubarb. For the crust, it was important to me that it didn’t feel second-rate (the way so much Passover baking can)—instead, I wanted to celebrate the matzo, and for inspiration, I turned to Bill Smith’s excellent Atlantic Beach Pie which famously uses saltines to make a delicious press-in cracker crust. I swapped matzo for the saltines, ground them a bit finer to compensate for their texture, and added a good amount of salt to match the saltiness of the original pie. I decided to bake it in a tart pan, both to match the grandeur of the holiday and to optimize the filling-to-crust ratio. For the filling, I adapted a halva mousse recipe that I love (and love to riff on) from Michael Solomonov’s Zahav cookbook. It’s also easy and no-bake: essentially halva smoothed in a food processor that gets folded into a bit of whipped cream. To finish, I gilded the tart with more whipped cream for lightness and textural variation. On a whim, I thought to macerate a stalk of rhubarb for a little crunch and bitter-sweetness. Along with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, it was the perfect nod to spring. (Raw rhubarb, where have you been all my life.)
The end result is everything I want in a Passover dessert. Something simple to make, but unexpected and special. Something to slice and share (I love, say, macaroons, but for a festive meal, I want a dessert to cut into, something from a whole that everyone gets a part of). And something that feels not just like Passover, but like spring—light, fresh, and full of renewal.
The Butter lab’s matzo halva rhubarb tart
Crust inspired by Bill Smith’s Atlantic Beach Pie, filling inspired by Michael Solomonov’s halva mousse from Zahav.
There are a few components here, but with a press-in crust and a no-bake filling, nothing too difficult. A few notes: Rhubarb can be hard to find this season; feel free to substitute strawberries or another fruit. I actually add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt to the crust, but I fear I like things saltier than most so I’m writing up the recipe with 1 1/4 teaspoons; if you’re like me and like things borderline salty than go ahead and increase it! You’ll get cleaner slices if you refrigerate the tart for at least an hour before serving. I haven’t baked this in a 9-inch pie pan, but think it could work.
Makes one 9-inch tart.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE MATZO CRUST:
170 grams (6 ounces) matzo sheets, roughly broken (~ 5 1/4 matzo sheets)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (see note in recipe header)
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) softened butter (but not melted!)
FOR THE HALVA MOUSSE FILLING:
13 ounces (2 cups) halva (or 7 Joyva halva bars)
1/4 teaspoon koser salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
FOR THE RHUBARB, WHIPPED CREAM, AND ASSEMBLY:
1 stalk (~3 ounces) rhubarb
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
1 tablespoon yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche
1-2 teaspoons sugar, to taste
toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling
METHOD
MAKE THE MATZO CRUST: Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch tart pan and set aside.
In a food processor, finely crush the matzo sheets to crumbs (they will be a bit uneven, with some pieces the size of dried lentils and others more like sand). You should yield 1 1/3 cups of matzo crumbs. Place the crumbs into a medium bowl and mix in the sugar and salt. Use your fingers to knead in the butter, until the crumbs hold together like dough. Press into the prepared tart pan, using your fingers or a measuring cup to mold into place. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes, then bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
MAKE THE HALVA MOUSSE: In a food processor, pulse the halva, salt, vanilla, and milk just until smooth. This should only take a few quick pulses and will still look a bit lumpy, but will be uniform; be careful not to go too long because the halva will harden. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream on medium speed to soft peaks. Using a silicone spatula, fold the whipped cream into the halva mixture in three additions until well combined. Pour the mousse evenly into the prepared crust. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
MACERATE RHUBARB, WHIP CREAM, AND ASSEMBLE: At least half an hour before you want to serve the tart, thinly slice the rhubarb (peel away any skin that makes it difficult to slice cleanly). Place the rhubarb in a small bowl, stir in the sugar and continue to stir occasionally as the sugar dissolves and softens the rhubarb.
Just before serving—in a stand alone mixer with the whisk attachment—whip the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream, vanilla, yogurt, and sugar on medium speed to soft peaks. Spread evenly over the halva mousse, remove the tart from the pan, and decorate with the macerated rhubarb (along with any accumulated syrup) and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
The tart is best the day it’s made, but will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days. (The tart will keep best if you keep the rhubarb separate and serve it on the side instead.)
*Passover rules: If you follow strict Passover rules (I do not), vanilla extract might not be acceptable since it contains alcohol which comes from grain. Of course, you can find some versions that are Passover-friendly. This dessert also contains dairy which, for those who follow a strict kosher diet (again, not me), might not be acceptable after a meat-based meal. In those situations, you can substitute vegan butter (this one is good), any non-dairy-based milk for the mousse, and leave off the whipped cream. But there are also many families who do not follow strict kosher diets; if you’re baking for others, it’s always a good idea to ask if you’re unsure.