Fig Tart

Fig Tart is a subtly sweet almond tart baked with fresh figs.  It begins with butter and egg-rich almond dough that's filled with almond cream and then baked. It's a simple yet beautiful tart that is perfect with seasonal figs.

When figs are in season, they are delicious to snack on.  They have a honey-like sweetness with a slight hint of berry, which makes them the perfect addition to many desserts.

In this simple almond tart, fresh figs add just the right amount of sweetness for balance.  This tart begins with paté sucrée ("sweet dough"), which is a light, crisp dough with a tight cookie-like crumb. It's filled with slightly sweet almond cream and fresh seasonal figs and then baked to perfection.

Before you begin

Take out the following baking equipment.

Digital kitchen scale
Large bowl
3 small bowls
Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
Dough scraper
Plastic wrap
Rolling pin
8-inch tart ring or pan
Baking sheet pan
Parchment paper
1 fork
Silicone spatula
Small fine mesh sieve

Allow all your ingredients to come to room temperature.
Read the recipe through from start to finish.

Understanding ingredients

The egg yolk in the crust acts as the binding ingredient.  Additionally, the yolk adds flavor, texture, and a lovely yellow color to the dough.

Adding almond flour to the crust adds a pleasant nutty flavor that pairs well with the filling and figs.

Fresh figs are the highlight of this almond tart. It's important to select figs that are dry, blemish-free, and smooth-skinned.  The fruit should be soft to the touch, but not mushy.  The two seasons for figs occur during the first few weeks of June and then again from August to October.

How to make fig tart crust

Mix the butter and flour.  Begin with mixing your room temperature butter, salt, and all-purpose flour in a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand-held mixer on low speed just until it is crumbly.

Add almond flour and powdered sugar.  With the mixer on low speed, add the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar to the bowl and mix until incorporated.

Add wet ingredients.  Add the vanilla and yolk to the mixture and increase your mixer to medium speed.  Mix until all the ingredients are combined.

Shape and refrigerate the dough. On a lightly floured work surface, shape the dough into a rectangle.  Tightly wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Line tart pan.  Roll the dough to a ¼-inch thickness and line an 8-inch tart ring or pan.  Allow the dough to "fall" into place; otherwise, it will not properly line the pan, and it will collapse during baking.

Rest the dough.  Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  Doing this will help prevent the dough from shrinking in the oven.

Dock the dough.  Use a fork to gently poke holes into the dough, allowing for an inch in between each poke to prevent the dough from puffing up during baking.

What is almond cream filling

Almond cream filling, also known as frangipane, is a delicious cream filling made from almond flour, sugar, butter, flour, and a hint of vanilla. It's simple to make using just a mixer.  Typically all the ingredients are added and mixed to create this delicious cream. It can complement a variety of desserts, most commonly tarts, but can also be used in other sweets such as cakes and pies.

Make-ahead almond cream

The almond cream can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  However, once you fill the pastry shell with the cream mixture, you should bake it within 1 hour, otherwise the crust will become soggy.

What type of tart pan should you use?

Tart pans come in all different types of shapes and sizes.  I love using an 8-inch round tart ring for this recipe. It's simple to line with the dough and easy to remove after being baked.  If you do not have a tart ring, you can use an 8 or 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  These types of pans make it simple to transfer your tart to a cake stand or serving dish.

How to line a tart ring with dough

If using a tart ring for this recipe, this is the simplest way to line it for pretty and straight edges.  If your dough becomes too warm, place it into the freezer for about 5 minutes and then continue working with the dough.

1. Roll the dough to a ¼-inch thickness (using a rolling pin with adjustable thickness rings makes this easy) between two layers of parchment paper.
2. Remove just the top piece of parchment paper.  Use the tart ring to trace and cut an 8-inch circle.  Remove the extra dough and transfer the parchment paper with the dough to a baking sheet pan and place the tart ring around the circular dough.
3. Reroll the extra dough to ¼-inch thickness in the shape of a long rectangle and freeze for 5 minutes to chill.
4. Using a straightedge, cut long strips of dough equal to the height of your ring.
5. Gently line the sides of the tart ring with these strips of dough and press the ends together where they meet to create a seam.

Tips and takeaways

• If you prefer another nut flour, you can substitute it for the almond flour.
• For a simple variation, bake the tart without the figs.  Once the tart is completely cooled, use a small offset spatula to spread fig jam in an even layer over the almond cream filling allowing for a half-inch border.  Top with the fresh figs for a beautiful presentation.
• The almond filling works well with a variety of fruit.  Stone fruits are especially delicious in this recipe.

If you love tarts, try these other recipes...

• Honey Mascarpone Fig Tart
• Raspberry Almond Tart
• Apple Tart
• Lemon Tarts

Make sure to tag me @thesweetoccasion on Instagram and leave me a review below if you make this Fig Tart. I'd love to see your creations and read your feedback.  And if you would like to make this recipe later, be sure to pin this recipe using the button on any of these images. Let's make every occasion a sweet occasion!

Fig Tart

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Maria
• Total Time: 15 hours
• Yield: 1 8-inch tart 1x

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Description

Fig Tart is a subtly sweet almond tart baked with fresh figs.  It begins with butter and egg-rich almond dough that's filled with almond cream and then baked. It's a simple yet beautiful tart that is perfect with seasonal figs.

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Ingredients

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For the crust

• 85 g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1.4 g (¼ teaspoon) salt
• 140 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour, sifted
• 18 g (3 tablespoons) skinless almond flour, sifted
• 55 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
• 1.8 g (½ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
• 40 g (2 large) egg yolks, at room temperature

For the filling

• 70 g (¾ cup) skinned almond flour
• 70 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
• 2 g (¾ teaspoon) cornstarch
• 2 g (1 teaspoon) all-purpose flour
• 70 g (5.5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• pinch of salt
• 2 g (½ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
• 50 g (1 large) egg
• 8-9 fresh figs, sliced in half lengthwise
• powdered sugar for dusting

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Instructions

For the crust

1. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, salt, and all-purpose flour on low speed just until the mixture is crumbly.  Add the almond flour and powdered sugar and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Add the vanilla and egg yolk to the mixture and mix on medium speed until all the ingredients are combined.
2. Scrape the dough onto a work surface and shape it into a ½-inch thick rectangle.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. Roll the dough and line an 8-inch tart ring or pan.  Allow the dough-lined ring to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

For the filling

1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C.  Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and all-purpose flour.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, salt, and vanilla and mix on medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the almond flour mixture to the bowl.  Mix for an additional 1 minute.  Add the egg and mix until incorporated.
4. Remove the prepared tart dough from the refrigerator and place it onto the prepared baking sheet pan.  Using a fork, gently poke holes into the dough, allowing for an inch in between holes.  Pour the almond cream mixture over the crust and use an offset spatula to smooth into an even layer.  Arrange fig halves flesh side facing up.
5. Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the cream and crust are golden brown.  A toothpick inserted into the center of the tart should come out clean.  Allow the tart to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes and then remove the tart ring.  Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Notes

Make-Ahead:  You can make the almond filling up to 2 days in advance.  Cover in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator.

Storing:  Store the baked tart covered in the refrigerator.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Tarts