Fig Tart

Recently, a work colleague gave me some figs from her garden, and I had some figs that I had bought. I wanted to use them in a way I hadn’t before, so a quick Internet search yielded this recipe for Fig Tart.

 This fig tart is truly devine - the figs sit atop an orange flavoured pastry cream, and are caramelised in the oven.

I used Dorie Greenspan’s shortcrust recipe as opposed to the one in the recipe because I trist it and know it works.

To make this tart, you will need:

1 x 9” unbaked tart shell

Pastry cream

2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 cup cornflour

1 cup milk

Grated zest 1/2 orange

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon cold butter, cubed

Topping

18-20 fresh figs, halved (I needed less)

1 whole fig

2 tablespoons melted butter 

2 teaspoons sanding sugar

For the pastry cream, whisk the egg yolks, 1/8 cup sugar, the cornflour and milk together in a large heatproof bowl.

Put the rest of the milk and sugar into a medium saucepan with the vanilla, orange zest and salt, and bring to a simmer. 

Whisking constantly, pour the hot milk in a steady stream into the egg mixture. Strain the mixture back into the saucepan, bring to the boil, whisking constantly, and boil for 10 seconds or until thickened (so it coats the back of the spoon).

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and stir through the cubed butter. Press cling film against the top of the pastry cream and chill for 2 hours.

When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius. 

Whisk the pastry cream to loosen it, and spoon evenly into the tart shell. Arrange the halved figs on top of the pastry cream in concentric circles, skin side down. Quarter the whole fig leaving connected at the base and squeeze gently to form a flower shape, and place in the centre of the tart. Brush the figs with melted butter and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake the tart for ~ 40 minutes or until cooked through, turning it half way through the baking time.

Remove the baked tart from the oven and cool on a wire rack.