Fig Tart With Almond Cream

I received a huge basket of figs from my father in law. He wanted me to make as many desserts and jams as I could from them. And 10 kg of figs is A LOT! I ended up making a few jars of jam and then some desserts. 

This fig tart with almond cream was a huge success. It had served with vanilla custard and ice cream for the kids. You will love this tart. A short crunchy base, a bed of rich, homemade fig jam, smooth and nutty filling and finally some fresh sweet figs to top it all off! It was a delicious harmony of flavours. You are going to love how beautiful this dessert really is. 

Preparation Time 1 hour 10 minutes 

Chill Time 2 hours 

Cook Time 1 hour 

Serves 8

Ingredients 

Tart Dough 

1/2 cup butter- cold and cubed 

1/4 cup icing sugar 

1 egg yolk 

1 teaspoon heavy cream 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup flour 

1/4 cup almond flour 

Pinch of salt 

Almond Cream 

8 tablespoons/ 1/2 cup butter- softened 

1/2 cup sugar 

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/4 teaspoon almond extract 

1 cup almond flour 

1/2 cup flour 

Pinch of salt 

Assembly 

1/4 cup fig jam 

750 grams fresh figs- quartered 

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

To Serve 

Powdered sugar 

Whipped cream 

Ice Cream

Vanilla Custard

Instructions 

1. Make the crust: in a bowl, mix the flour, almond flour and salt. Mix well and set it aside. 

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, cream and vanilla. Mix it in. 

3. Gradually add the flour mixture until it is just combined. The dough will be soft. 

4. Line a counter top in cling film and dump the dough out onto the cling film. Bring the dough into a disk shape then roll it up in clingfilm. Chill the dough for 2 hours. 

5. Make the almond cream: cream the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and extracts. Mix well. Add the almond flour, flour and salt. Mix until smooth. Set it aside. 

6. Par bake the crust: remove the dough from the fridge. Roll out into a 12 inch circle. Fit into a 9 inch tart pan with removable base. Trim off the excess. Prick the base with a fork and freeze it for 30 minutes. 

7. Preheat the oven to 180c. Bind bake the base with baking beans for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment paper then bake for an additional 5 minutes more. Cool the tart shell to room temperature. 

8. Assemble the tart: spread the jam on the bottom of the cooled tart base. Top it with the almond cream. Spread it out into an even layer. 

9. Arrange fresh figs flesh side down over the almond cream. Press it down slightly into the almond cream. Sprinkle over the sliced almonds. 

10. Bake the tart at 180c for 35-40 minutes until puffed up and golden. 

11. Cool the tart to room temperature before serving.