Fig Almond Tart Food

HONEY ROASTED FIG & ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a shallow loose-bottomed 25cm flan tin. Make sure the pastry comes above the rim - it may shrink in baking and the filling could spill. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the figs in half lengthways and sit them cut side up on a roasting tray. Mix the orange juice and honey in a bowl, pour over the figs and roast for 10-12 minutes until just soft. Drain off any juice into a saucepan and reserve.
• Prick the base of the chilled pastry case all over with a fork, then line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to fan 130C/conventional 150C/ gas 2. Leave the pastry case to cool slightly before filling.
• Cream butter and sugar in a food processor or with an electric beater until smooth and pale. Tip in the ground almonds and zest and whizz briefly to combine. Add egg yolks and 1 tbsp of the reserved fig juice and whizz again until smooth. Spread evenly over the pastry case.
• Gently press the figs cut side up into the almond mixture. Bake for 11⁄4 hours or until it's golden all over (don't worry if the centre still seems soft - a little gooeyness is good). Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, then remove sides and transfer on its base to a wire rack to cool.
• Before serving, take the tart off its base and transfer to a flat platter or board. If you have juice left from roasting the figs, bring it to the boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes until sticky and syrupy. Brush this over the figs and serve as soon as possible, while the syrup is still glossy on the figs (it will start to seep through into the filling if you leave it too long).

FRESH FIG TART

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sea salt on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula and add confectioners' sugar. Combine with butter at low speed. Once incorporated, scrape down bowl and paddle. Add almond flour and vanilla extract and combine at low speed.
• Gradually add egg and a quarter of the flour (scant 1/2 cup or 55 grams). Beat at low speed until just incorporated. Scrape down bowl and paddle. Gradually add remaining flour and mix just until dough comes together, stopping from time to time to scrape in any mixture adhering to sides and bottom of bowl. Do not overbeat. Dough should be soft to the touch.
• Separate dough into two equal portions. Gently press each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Double-wrap airtight in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one dough portion for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight; chill or freeze the second portion for another use.
• Very lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. (You should not be able to see the butter.) On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 10 1/2-inch circle, 1/4 inch thick. Dust work surface and dough often, and work quickly so dough remains cold. Gently roll dough over lightly dusted rolling pin and transfer to pan, gently easing it in and trimming the top edge. Chill uncovered for at least 1 hour, preferably longer.
• Prepare the tart: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together almond flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and flour into a medium bowl.
• Place butter, salt and vanilla and almond extracts in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and beat 1 minute at medium speed. Scrape down bowl and paddle, and add almond flour mixture. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute, until incorporated. Stop, scrape down bowl and paddle, then turn on machine and gradually add egg. Add rum and beat at medium speed until egg and rum are incorporated.
• Remove tart shell from refrigerator and place on a baking sheet. Using a fork, pierce rows across surface of crust, about 1 inch apart. Scrape almond cream onto crust and, using a small offset or rubber spatula, spread evenly over crust.
• Place in oven and bake 40 minutes, until crust and almond cream are golden brown and the tip of a knife comes out clean when inserted into cream. Remove from oven and let cool for 40 minutes on a rack.
• Using a small spatula, spread fig jam over surface of tart in an even layer.
• Remove stems from figs. Cut small and medium figs into quarters, large figs into sixths or eights. Arrange in concentric circles, starting with the rim, with the stem end down. Slices should angle upwards. If not serving right away, refrigerate. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

FIG AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter sides and bottom of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan and set aside.
• For the crust: In a large bowl combine melted butter and sugar and blend with a wooden spoon. Add extracts, salt and flour and stir to form a soft, cookielike dough. Do not let it form into a ball. Transfer the dough to the center of the tart pan. Using your fingers, press the dough evenly onto the bottom and sides. (It will be quite thin.) If using a springform pan, press the dough 1 1/2 inches up the sides. Bake until the dough is slightly puffy and set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle almonds on the crust.
• For the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the cream, egg, extracts and honey and whisk to blend. Whisk in the flour. Starting just inside the edge of the tart shell, neatly overlap the figs, cut side up, at a slight angle. Make two or three concentric circles, working toward the center, and fill the center with the remaining figs.
• Rewhisk the cream mixture and pour evenly over the fruit. Place the tart in the center of the oven with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips. Bake until the filling is firm and the pastry a deep golden brown, about 50 or 60 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

FIG AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• To make the dough, combine flour, sugar, salt and butter in a bowl with your hands until it resembles a coarse meal. In a separate small bowl combine the ice water and vanilla and add it to the flour mixture and combine until the dough forms a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured board roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick and large enough to fit into a 9-inch tart pan. Trim the edges and prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. Line the crust with parchment paper and weigh it down with dry beans. Bake the dough in the oven for 20 minutes and then remove.
• Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• In an electric mixing bowl beat softened butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg and combine. Stir in almonds, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon the mixture into the baked tart shell and top with the quartered figs. Bake the tart for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• To make the sauce, in a saucepan combine the red wine, figs, sugar and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and simmer until the wine is reduced by half.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the sauce to a blender and puree. Strain into a saucepan and simmer until lightly thickened. Let cool 1 to 2 minutes.
• Brush the sauce over the tart and serve with more sauce on the side.
• Suggested wine: Bukkuram, Moscato Passito di Pantelleria

FIG AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan or pie pan; set aside. Put almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor and grind to a coarse powder. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; pulse to combine.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, honey and almond extract. Add almond mixture and beat for a minute until batter is just mixed. Pour batter into pan.
• Remove stem from each fig and cut in half. Arrange fig halves cut-side up over the batter. Sprinkle figs with sugar and bake for 30 minutes, until golden outside and dry at center when probed with a cake tester. Cool before serving.