Fig Honey And Mascarpone Tart Recipes

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).

FIG, HONEY AND MASCARPONE TART

Steps:

• Put the flour in a large mixing bowl.
• Cut the butter into small chunks and tip into the flour.
• Rub the butter between your thumbs and fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, stir in the sugar and drop in the two egg yolks.
• Using a table knife or your hands, mix in the eggs.
• Then use your hands again to bring the whole lot together.
• You may need a few drops of water but add them carefully.
• You should end up with a soft ball of dough.
• Cover with a piece of greaseproof, foil or clingfilm and refrigerate for about an hour.
• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured board so that it is large enough to fit a deep 25cm diameter metal tart inches
• Lift the pastry up with the help of a rolling pin and drape over the tart tin.
• Gently push the pastry into the corners of the tin and up the sides, patching any holes and tears where necessary.
• No one will ever know.
• Prick the pastry case all over with a fork, place a piece of greaseproof paper on top of the pastry, and weight it down with something like beans or rice.
• Rest the pastry in the fridge while the oven gets to 350°F
• Cut a deep cross in the top of each fig.
• Bake the tart case for about twenty-five minutes until it is firm and somewhat dry to touch.
• It should be the colour of a custard cream.
• Remove the greaseproof paper and beans.
• Leave the pastry to cool a little, then place the figs in snugly, squeezing each on as you so do to open it up.
• Stuff little spoonfuls of mascarpone into the open figs.
• Drizzle with honey.
• Mix the crème fraîche with the egg yolks and sugar and pour over the fruit.
• Bake for 35 minutes until the edges of the pastry have browned slightly and the juices have combined with the creamy bits to give a sort of wobbly custard.
• Leave to cool and set slightly for fifteen minutes before eating.