Fresh Fig Tart

Name: Fresh Fig Tart
Ingredients: Pastry:; 175 g cake flour; 40 g caster sugar; pinch of salt; 75 g chilled butter, cut into small pieces; 2 eggs; Filling:; 100 g ground almonds; 75 g soft brown sugar; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon; 1 egg, beaten; 100 ml (2/5 cup) brandy; 8 fresh, ripe figs; Glaze:; 175 ml red wine; finely grated rind of 1 lemon; 75 g sugar

Plump, ripe figs, with a red wine glaze, sit proudly on a rich franzipan base that is flavoured with cinnamon and brandy. Serve with crème fraiche or scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Published 5 April 2023

Method

Preheat the oven to 180º C (350 º F). Grease a loose bottom 25 cm tart tin.
Make the pastry. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and salt. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and mix to a dough. Kneed lightly and wrap in plastic cling film. Leave the pastry to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use to line the tart tin. Place a sheet of aluminum foil onto the pastry and fill the tin with dried beans. Bake the pastry in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil and bake the pastry for 5 more minutes to cook the base.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Mix together the ground almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Stir in the beaten egg and brandy to give a soft paste.
Spread the almond paste (franzipan) in the base of the pastry case. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until just firm.
Meanwhile prepare the glaze. Put the red wine, lemon rind and sugar into a saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and simmer until reduced to a light syrup.
Peel the figs if the skin is thick. (If the skin is thin it is not necessary to peel them.) Cut the figs in quarters lengthways and arrange on top of the tart. Brush the figs with the red wine glaze. Serve the warm or at room temperature, but not chilled.