Fig Tart With Honey Vanilla Ice Cream Food

FRENCH FIG TARTS

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a 5-inch-round flat disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for exactly 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• On a floured board, roll the dough to a rectangle a little larger than 10-by-14 inches. Wrap the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared pan. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the dough to a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Remove the stem of each fig and cut them in quarters through the stem (or in sixths, if the figs are very large.) Place the figs in rows on the dough. Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.
• Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the fruit starts to brown. Rotate the pan once during baking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The juices will burn in the pan but the tart (and the pan!) will be fine! When the tart's done, loosen it from the pan while it's still warm and transfer it to a board or clean piece of parchment paper.
• In a small pan, heat the apricot jelly with 2 tablespoons water and brush the fruit and pastry completely with the mixture. Allow to cool, cut into squares, and serve warm or at room temperature.

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.

FIG TART WITH HONEY-VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Beat together the whole eggs and yolks. Meanwhile, heat the honey with the cream and milk with the vanilla, lemon peel and coriander. Remove from heat just before it reaches the boiling point.
• Pour the mixture in a thin stream into the eggs and mix thoroughly (if you are using a food processor, remove the bag of coriander seeds and lemon peel when you do this).
• Pour the mixture into a double boiler and place over very hot water on medium heat. (You can also use a thick saucepan placed on an iron trivet over low heat.) If you have removed the coriander bag, return it to the mixture. Cook until thickened to the consistency of custard.
• Remove from heat and cool, whisking occasionally. Remove the coriander bag and the lemon peel. Put the mixture in an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's directions.
• When ready to bake the pie shell, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the figs and cut them in half. Arrange them skin side down with their pointed ends toward the center, in the tart shell. Sprinkle with the sugar and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. If the edges of the pie shell start to brown, cover them with foil. Cool the shell on a rack.
• Heat the jam in a small saucepan with the kirsch or framboise. Strain it over the figs. Serve with the ice cream on the side.

ROASTED FIGS WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM AND HONEY

Steps:

• Heat broiler. Place figs, cut side up, on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the sugar over the figs and dot with butter. Place figs under the broiler as close to the flame as possible and cook until they begin to brown around the edges, about 2 minutes. Place 2 fig halves on each of 4 plates, along with a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon honey over each scoop of ice cream and sprinkle figs with pepper, if desired. Garnish with mint sprigs.

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).