One of my favorite desserts is the fresh fig tart, a very delicious dessert that I make with fresh figs from my garden. Here are the tips and tricks to make it at home with custard or a delicious homemade compote.
If you like figs, don’t forget to read the recipe:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 150.00 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 23.86 (g) of which sugars 16.41 (g)
- Proteins 3.23 (g)
- Fat 4.96 (g) of which saturated 1.36 (g)of which unsaturated 3.21 (g)
- Fibers 1.17 (g)
- Sodium 161.00 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 1 tart (8 inches)
- 7 oz shortcrust pastry
- 7 oz custard
- 7 oz figs
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
Steps
Tarts are among my favorite desserts because, with a good base, you can create many recipes.
For a good tart, I recommend using homemade shortcrust pastry, so in just a few minutes, you’ll have a great base for your tart.
After resting, place the pastry on the chosen tart pan, this is suitable for an 8-inch tart. If you want a 9-10 inch tart, simply double the amounts.
The second step involves preparing a good custard with which to fill the cake base. If you’re in a hurry or worried about making mistakes, you can use ready-made or instant creams.
Alternatively, you can use a good homemade fig compote.
Place the shortcrust pastry in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, making sure it doesn’t darken too much. To prevent it from puffing up, you can use a sheet of parchment paper on which you’ll pour some legumes; their weight will prevent the pastry from puffing up.
Alternatively, you can open the oven and flatten the pastry with a fork if it puffs up or deforms too much. Once cooked, let the shortcrust pastry cool on a rack.
When the pastry is cool, you can spoon the custard over it, spreading it evenly.
Now it’s time to prepare the figs, dry them with a towel and cut them into uniform slices or rounds depending on the decoration you want to achieve.
If you want to prolong the life of your tart, I suggest brushing them with some fruit jelly for cakes, this way the fruits won’t oxidize in the refrigerator.
All you have to do is put the cake in the fridge and let it cool. It can be consumed within a couple of days, after which the fruit will start to spoil.
Your fresh fig tart is ready!
Plating Tips:
You can make four 5-inch single servings with the above quantities and make the tarts more delicious by adding a layer of fig compote on top of the cream.
For an original touch, you can also caramelize the figs by sprinkling them with sugar and flaming them with a culinary torch.
Wine Pairing for Fresh Fig Tart:
I recommend a dry and fortified wine that pairs well with shortcrust pastry and custard. For example, a Marsala Fine or a Passito di Pantelleria.
