Dried Fig And Marsala Tart Food

FIG AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, gradually add the water until moist clumps form. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and form into a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for 1 hour.
• In a clean food processor bowl, combine remaining sugar, almond paste, mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, and honey. Blend until smooth.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a large, heavy baking sheet. Spread the almond filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Arrange the figs on top of the almond filling. Spoon the jam over the figs. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, pleating the crust loosely and pinching to seal any cracks in the dough.
• Bake the tart until the crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the tart from the parchment. Transfer the tart to a platter and serve.
• Cook's Note: To reconstitute dried figs, simmer in water for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool completely. Strain before using.

MARSALA AND DRIED-FIG CROSTATA

Steps:

• For filling:
• Combine all ingredients in heavy large saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until figs are very tender, about 1 hour. Uncover and simmer until liquid reduces slightly, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Cool slightly. Refrigerate until cool, stirring occasionally (mixture will be thick), about 45 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks. (Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)
• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix flour, sugar, fennel seeds, and salt in processor. Add butter and 1 egg. Using on/off turns, process until dough forms. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap 1 disk in plastic wrap; refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Press remaining dough disk onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Pierce bottom all over with fork. Chill until firm, about 10 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)
• Roll out chilled dough disk on waxed paper to 12-inch round. Transfer dough on waxed paper to rimless baking sheet. Cut dough into twelve 3/4-inch-wide strips. Chill strips while filling tart. Spread filling evenly in crust. Place 6 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Place remaining 6 strips diagonally atop first 6 strips, forming diamond lattice pattern. Press ends of strips against edge of tart pan to trim. Whisk remaining egg in small bowl to blend; brush over lattice.
• Bake tart until juices bubble thickly around edges and crust is deep golden, about 55 minutes. Cool on rack 1 hour. Using small knife, gently loosen tart from pan sides. Remove sides. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with ice cream.

DRIED FIG AND MARSALA TART

Steps:

• Set the oven at 400°F/200°C/Gas 6. Put the figs and raisins into a mixing bowl, pour over the Marsala and leave to stand for forty-five minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Make the pastry:
• Cut the cold butter into small cubes and rub into the flour, either with your fingertips or using a food processor. Work until you have what looks like coarse, fresh breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
• Add the egg yolks to the butter and flour. Mix together until you have a soft dough, then turn out on to a floured board and knead briefly, for just a minute. Shape the dough into a smooth, fat cylinder. Wrap it in greaseproof paper or clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for thirty minutes.
• Make the caramel:
• Place the Tatin mould or a frying pan over a moderate heat. (If you will be baking the tart in a cake tin, use a frying pan to make the caramel, otherwise you will damage your tin.) Add the Marsala from the dried fruit, leaving the fruit behind in the bowl, then add the sugar. Bring to the boil and leave to form a thin caramel. If you are using a Tatin mould, remove from the heat. If you are using a cake tin, pour the caramel from the frying pan into the tin.
• Assemble the tart:
• Cut the butter into small cubes and scatter it over the caramel. Place the plumped-up figs on the base of the tin in a single layer (neatly or not, as you wish), then scatter over the raisins, pushing them into any gaps.
• Roll out the pastry a little larger than the Tatin mould or cake tin. With the help of the rolling pin-it is very fragile-lift the pastry into the mould or tin, pressing it gently into place over the figs. Tuck in any overhanging pastry.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about thirty minutes, until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and leave to settle for ten to fifteen minutes. Place a large serving plate on top of the tart, then, using oven gloves, hold the tin and plate firmly and carefully turn them over, leaving the tart to slide out on to the plate. Serve warm with cream, ice cream or crème fraîche.

DRIED FIG TART

Steps:

• 1 Prepare the pastry, if necessary. Let the larger piece of dough soften briefly at room temperature. Place the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll it out to form a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. 2 When the dough is ready, remove the top sheet of plastic wrap. Using the remaining sheet to lift the dough, center the dough in a 9- to 10-inch tart pan, with the plastic-covered side up. Peel off the plastic wrap. Gently press the dough into the base of the pan and along the sides. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan and trim off the overhanging dough. Gently press the dough against the sides of the pan to create a rim higher than the edge of the pan. Refrigerate the pastry shell 30 minutes. 3 In a medium saucepan, combine the figs, sugar, juice, and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes. Stir in the zest. 4 Place the oven rack on the lowest level. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the fig mixture in the bottom of the prepared shell. 5 Roll out the remaining dough to a 10-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. With a fluted pastry wheel, cut the dough into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Arrange the strips about 1 inch apart across the jam. Rotate the tart a quarter-turn and place the remaining strips across the top, forming a lattice pattern. Press the ends of the strips against the sides of the tart to seal. Brush the dough with the egg yolk. 6 Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. 7 Let the tart cool in the pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove the pan rim and let the tart cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Store covered with a large inverted bowl at room temperature up to 24 hours. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

MARSALA AND FIG CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the filling:
• Combine all ingredients in heavy large saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Cover and simmer until figs are very tender, about 1 hour.
• Uncover and simmer until liquid reduces slightly, about 8 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Cool slightly. Refrigerate until cool, stirring occasionally (mixture will be thick), about 45 minutes.
• Discard cinnamon sticks. Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• For the crust:
• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Mix flour, sugar, fennel seeds, and salt in processor. Add butter and 1 egg. Using on/off turns, process until dough forms.
• Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk.
• Wrap 1 disk in plastic wrap; refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Press remaining dough disk onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
• Pierce bottom all over with fork.
• Chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• Roll out chilled dough disk on waxed paper to 12-inch round.
• Transfer dough on waxed paper to rimless baking sheet.
• Cut dough into twelve 3/4-inch-wide strips.
• Chill strips while filling tart. Spread filling evenly in crust.
• Place 6 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Place remaining 6 strips diagonally atop first 6 strips, forming diamond lattice pattern. Press ends of strips against edge of tart pan to trim.
• Whisk remaining egg in small bowl to blend; brush over lattice.
• Bake tart until juices bubble thickly around edges and crust is deep golden, about 55 minutes.
• Cool on rack 1 hour. Using small knife, gently loosen tart from pan sides. Remove sides.
• Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with ice cream. Serves 8.
• That's it!