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It’s almost the end of Fall, and before the fig season is officially over, it is absolutely imperative to make a fig almond tart. Here’s a simple recipe that can be done at home, composed to a shortbread tart shell, homemade fig jam, almond cream, and fresh figs. It’s pretty, and it’s delicious.
It’s not always the case to add raspberries to fig tarts, but I thought it’d be nice to add a bit of acidity, especially when pairing the tart with a glass of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Edition Automne 2005, a champagne I recently discovered at a tasting event. For pairing with this charming rose champagne, I added some fresh raspberries, and increased the dose of lime juice in the jam recipe for extra acidity.
So, let’s get started.
For the tart shell:
butter…48g / powdered sugar…30g / eggs…19g / ground almond…10g / salt…0.5g / flour…80g
Steps:
1. Separately, sift all powders.
2. Whisk together softened butter and powdered sugar.
3. Slowly whisk in eggs, ground almond, and finally the flour. Be careful not to over-whisk once the flour has been added in.
4. If you have been using a machine to mix the dough, you may choose to finish mixing the flour with hands to prevent over-mixing.
5. Wrap the dough in cling film and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (preferably over night).
6. Take out the chilled dough and flatten it with a rolling pin to about 3-5mm thickness, then line a 6-inch tart mold with the dough. Be sure to sprinkle the dough with some flour during the rolling process, so it does not stick to the marble or your rolling pin.
7. Remove extra dough and trim the sides for a clean finish. You can gently press your thumbs against the dough to make sure that it is flatly lined on the mold, and “chase out” any air bubbles between the tart shell and dough. Store the lined tart shell in the fridge if not using immediately.
For the almond cream:
butter…40g / powdered sugar…40g / egg…34g / ground almond…40g / rum…4g
Steps:
1. Cream together softened butter and powdered sugar, then add eggs, and finally the ground almond. If you like rum, you can add some at the end according to your own preference. Cover with cling film and store in the fridge for later use.
For the fig marmalade:
fresh figs…100g / sugar…10g / lime juice…16g / pectin nh…1g
1. Mix sugar and pectin. Do note that the amount of pectin is very little, so make sure you measure it with a precise scale.
2. Cut fresh figs into small cubes of around 1-2cm.
3. Cook the figs on low heat, making sure to stir constantly to avoid burning them at the bottle of the pot. Use a food processor to puree cooked figs.
4. While whisking constantly, slowly sprinkle in the sugar and pectin mixture. After the mixture boils, pour in the lime juice and bring to a boil again. Chill and reserve.
To assemple:
Lined tart shell…1pc / fig marmalade…70g / almond cream…140g / fresh figs…4pcs
Steps:
1. Spread the fig marmalade at the bottom of the tart shell, followed by almond cream. The tart should not be completely filled (should be around 80%), as the almond cream will expand as it is baked.
2. Bake in ovens preheated to 180C for about 30-40 minutes, or until the surface is golden brown.
3. When cooled, remove tart from tart shell and decorate with fresh fig slices. The recipe should make one 6-inch tart and 2 small individual tarts.
Voila voila, now isn’t this the perfect autumn pastry?
Let’s talk about Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Edition Automne 2005. One can never say no to a glass of Perrier-Jouët, especially when it’s a limited edition like this one (only 10,000 bottles available worldwide). I was lucky to have tasted it at an event, and was charmed by this gorgeous shade of pink as well as the flavor, offering notes of berries, orange, sour cherry, spice, and a little bit of cream at the end.
This champagne is created by Hervé Deschamps, Chef de Caves of Perrier-Jouët, who chose the best of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier to conjure up the special edition. Elegant and refined as all other Perrier-Jouët champagnes, but with a lush note epitomizing the abundance of Autumn, it’s the perfect accompaniment to this sweet and sour fig tart.
Are you charmed? Now go get them figs before the season ends! Any questions about the recipes, just leave a comment.
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