Summer

Fig Tart with Mascarpone and Creme Fraiche

July 29, 2012
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0 Ratings
  • Makes 8 inch tart
Author Notes

Back when I was baking professionally I was heading the pastry department of a now defunct food establishment that wanted to be the next Dean and Deluca or Balducci's. Alas, Fratelli Cangiano's on Canal Street is a forgotten blip of NYC food history. Yet some very good recipes were created in that establishment.

I use Jim Dodge's tart recipe for the crust everything else is pure late 80s inspiration. —Judy at My Well Seasoned Life

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 pound your favorite dried figs. Stems removed
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vodka
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup hazelnut flour
  • 1 stick unsalted butter cold cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 6 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1-2 pounds black mission figs or your favorite figs
  • 4 ounces mascaprone
  • 1/4 cup creme fraiche
  • zest of lemon
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
  1. For tart dough Place flour, salt, sugar and butter into a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles course corn meal. Add cream and pulse until mixture comes together. Don't over blend.
  2. Dust a cutting board or work surface with half the hazelnut flour. Place tart dough on surface. Sprinkle the top with hazelnut flour. Roll dough and place in 8 inch tart dish. Remaining dough can be frozen and reused
  3. Chill crust for half hour. Score tart bottom with fork. Then bake in 350 oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
  4. For Macerated dried figs Place liquids and sugar in medium sized pot. Bring to boil. Add figs. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Cover and allow to cool. When figs are cooled. Just about the time your tart dough is coming out of the oven, drain. Place figs in food processor and puree. Add the macerating liquid into the puree so that the mixture is firm but spreadable.
  5. For mascarpone/creme fraiche cream In a small bowl place the mascarpone, creme fraiche, zest of lemon and a sprinkle of sugar. Blend with spatula until smooth. Scoop mixture into pastry bag fitted with favorite tip or not.
  6. Tart Assembly Cut stems off figs and cut into quarters starting from the stem end down. Place cooled tart shell on serving dish. Spread a smooth 1/2 inch layer of macerated figs on the bottom of the tart shell. Pipe a thin layer of mascarpone mixture on top of macerated figs. Smooth with spatula. Place fresh fig quarters in a decorative pattern on top of mascarpone. Don't worry about gaps between figs because you can pipe remaining mascarpone in the gaps.

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