Danish Rhubarb Custard Recipe from Petersgaard Manor

This recipe I had to tweak a little to get the right temperatures for cooking. The original recipe called to bake it for 30 min at 395F, but I found that baking it as I state below works better. I made this for the first time the other night and my whole family loved it. Even my sweet all American hubby thought it was yummy:-) I will be making this more! 

On the very south of Denmark, on the Island of Sjaelland, amidst yellow fields, green forests and pastures lies Petersgaard Manor.  Built in the early 1700, as part of Frederick IV's national riding districts. Now the manor is run by the Iuel family. Here is a delicious dessert recipe that they make at the Manor. It is actually called a Rhubarb Cake, but is more like a custard in consistency with a "creme broulee" type of crust. YUM!!

Rhubarb Custard 

2 1/2 lbs fresh Rhubarb

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 vanilla bean pod

1 quart whipping cream

6 eggs + 2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla sugar or seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean pod

1 Tbs Cornstarch

1/2 cup granulated sugar

The strained rhubarb juice

1. Rinse Rhubarb stalks and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.  Place in greased baking dish with the 1 cup sugar and open sliced down the middle 1/2 Vanilla bean. Cover with aluminum foil and let bake in 395F preheated oven for 1hr or until the Rhubarb becomes cooked all the way thru.
2. Remove the compote to a strainer over a pan and let all rhubarb juices drip for about 1 hr. Set aside.
3. In large bowl, whip the cream until it become fluffy. Than place whipped cream, 8 egg yolks, vanilla, cornstarch and sugar in a large thick based pot over low heat. With a whisk blend it all together, and do NOT LET IT COOK. It needs to become thick and airy. Remove from heat and let it cool. 
4. Once it is cool, add the 6 beaten (till stiff) egg whites to the cream mixture. 
5. In a 9x11 greased dish, place the rhubarb compote to cover the whole bottom. Than the whip cream mixture on top, making sure not to fill all the way to the top (as it can tend to poor over during cooking).
6. Place it on a covered baking sheet on middle rack in a preheated 395F oven for  about 15 min. This will give it a "creme brulee" type of crust. (Make sure not to burn). Than once it gets the darkness of crust that you prefer turn oven down to 350F for 30-45 min, until custard is stiff around edges and still a little jiggly in the middle. 
7. Remove from oven and let sit until cool. (It will stiffen the colder it gets).
8. To serve drizzle a tiny bit of the strained rhubarb juice on top. (Optional)

"Velbekommen!"