It’s my favorite time year! And not only because it’s summer, which has been splendid so far, but because it’s fig season! Sadly like all good things though it’s a very short season and they’ll be gone before you know it! I may have been a little overzealous in my shopping for figs. If you follow me on social media (which you should ;-)) you’ll notice a lot of them on my feed this week!
To be honest I was a little unsure of them until a couple years ago, but since then have fallen in love! They are perfect in a rustic crostata like this, a fancy Fig Frangipane Tart like I’m sharing today, or with a little goat cheese and wrapped in prosciutto.
Today’s recipe is perfect for summer – a great addition to a picnic or family BBQ. Fragipane is a creamy almond based filling that is divine when paired with the earthiness and gentle sweetness of figs. Topped with a little honey and I dare you not to have seconds. While the tart is beautiful and delicious made as a traditional large tart, I thought it would be fun to make miniature versions. Doesn’t everything seem fancier in mini? The process is the same for both, the only difference being the mini tarts require a little less time to cook.
Do you have a favorite fig based dish? I love to know! And if you give this tart a go, I’d love to hear how it turns out in the comments below.
Ingredients
Crust
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (75 ml) sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon (1ml) salt
Frangipane
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups (310 ml) ground almonds
3 tablespoons (45 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
Garnish
8 fresh figs, halved (adjust quantity depending on size)
1 whole fig
3 tablespoons (45 ml) warm honey
Directions
Crust
In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Add the egg and beat until the mixture is smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients. The mixture will have a sandy texture. Using your fingertips, press the dough into one large tart pan or four mini tart pans with removable bottoms. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
With the rack in the bottom position, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Frangipane
In a bowl, cream the butter with the sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients. Scrape the mixture into the one large tart shell or divide amongst the four mini tart shells.
Garnish
For a large tart: place the whole fig in the center and arrange the fig halves all around, cut side up, leaving space between each fig. For mini tart: press on halve of a fig, cut side up, into the center of each tart. Bake until the frangipane is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes for a tart and 40 minutes for the mini tarts. After removing the tart from the oven, gently brush the figs with warm honey. Let cool. Serve warm or cold.
Recipe adapted from https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en
