FRANGIPANE FIG TART
You can either make your own crust or buy it frozen. Note that I don’t use shortening on my recipes. Though it will give you a flakier texture, I prefer to use organic or European butter instead.
Ingredients
For the Frangipane:
½ cup raw almonds
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of Kosher salt
½ Tbsp. lemon or orange zest
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut in three pieces
2 large eggs, organic, cage and hen free
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Pie Crust:
1¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. white sugar
Zest of a lemon, optional
½ cup very cold unsalted organic butter, cut into pieces; extra for pan
¼ cup ice water or cold whole organic milk
1 pint of fresh Mission figs, halved and stemmed
Instructions
For the Frangipane:
1. In a food processor combine almonds, sugar, salt and zest. Pulse until coarse.
2. Add flour. Once combined, add butter one piece at a time.
3.Follow with the eggs, one at a time. Finish with the extract.
4. Refrigerate until chilled.
For the Pie Crust:
1. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add the butter and combine using a food processor or your hands, until coarse.
2. Then, little by little, add ice water or cold milk, until the dough holds together without being sticky. But do not over mix!
3. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1-2 hours before using.
To Assemble the Tart:
1. Butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly, around and up the sides. Do not over press the crust. Freeze for 30 minutes or longer before baking.
2. Preheat oven at 375ºF.
3. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil (enough to cover the tart pan) and place it tightly on top of the crust, buttered side down.
4. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and let it cool slightly.
5. Pour frangipane filling into tart pan. Lay the figs on top of the frangipane in any pattern of your choice.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until filling is set.
7. Drizzle with honey, if desired, and serve with fresh-lemon whipped cream or creme fraiche, or with any ice cream of your choice.
Notes: To breakdown the anti-nutrients in the almonds, just soak them overnight in water with salt, and dehydrate them the next day. You can either use a dehydrator or the oven set at 150ºF.
If you are using a frozen crust, you can either pre-bake and bake (as instructed above), or bake for 50 minutes or until filling is set.
