FIG FRANGIPANE WITH SAGE

PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINS TO MAKE THE DOUGH | 30 MINS TO CHILL | 25 MINS TO COOK THE PASTRY |15 MINS TO PREPARE THE FILLING INGREDIENTS?
45 MINUTES TO COOK THE TART

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE SHORT CRUST SWEET PASTRY WITH THYME AND NUTMEG
240G / 3 2/3 CUPS GF PLAIN (ALL-PURPOSE) FLOUR, SIFTED
½ NUTMEG, FRESHLY GRATED
SPRINKLE OF SALT
2 HEAPED TBSP ICING (CONFECTIONERS’) SUGAR
110G / 1 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, CUBED AND CHILLED
1 EGG YOLK, WHISKED - BEATEN
8 SPRIGS OF FRESH THYME, LEAVES REMOVED FROM STALKS
3–4TBSP ICE-COLD WATER

FOR THE FRANGIPANE FILLING
200G BUTTER
200G GOLDEN CASTER (SUPERFINE) SUGAR
4 LARGE EGGS
100G GROUND ALMONDS
6-7 FIGS - HALVED
1 HEAPED TBSP GOLDEN CASTER (SUPERFINE) SUGAR
3TBSP FLAKED ALMONDS

TO MAKE THE PASTRY, START BY USING A FOOD PROCESSOR AND K BEATER TO COMBINE THE FLOUR WITH THE NUTMEG, SALT AND ICING SUGAR | NEXT ADD THE BUTTER, COMBINING ON A LOW SPEED UNTIL YOU HAVE A ROUGH CRUMB. ADD IN THE BEATEN EGGS | WHEN THE PASTRY STARTS TO COME TOGETHER, ADD IN THE ICE-COLD WATER, A TABLESPOON AT A TIME, JUST ENOUGH SO THAT THE PASTRY FORMS INTO A SMOOTH BALL | IF YOU ADD TOO MUCH YOU CAN ADD A LITTLE EXTRA FLOUR TO BRING IT BACK TO THE RIGHT TEXTURE 

REMOVE THE DOUGH FROM THE FOOD PROCESSOR, ROLL IT OUT AND LINE A 24–26CM / 9½ – 10IN TART TIN TO AROUND 3MM THICK | PRICK THE PASTRY ALL OVER WITH A FORK AND ALLOW TO REST IN THE FRIDGE FOR AROUND 30 MINUTES BEFORE BAKING

 PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 180˚C | REMOVE THE PASTRY FROM THE FRIDGE AND FILL WITH BAKING BEANS (OR SCREW UP FOIL AND USE TO HELP KEEP THE SHAPE OF THE TART CASE) BAKE FOR 15 MINUTES | REMOVE THE BAKING BEANS (OR FOIL) THEN CONTINUE TO BAKE FOR ANOTHER 5–10 MINUTES UNTIL THE PASTRY IS FULLY COOKED AND STARTING TO TURN GOLDEN | LEAVE THE OVEN ON.

TO MAKE THE FILLING, BEAT TOGETHER THE BUTTER AND SUGAR UNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY | ADD IN THE EGGS, ONE AT A TIME, CONTINUING TO BEAT | GENTLY FOLD IN THE ALMONDS PLUS HALF OF THE SAGE LEAVES | POUR THE MIXTURE INTO THE COOKED PASTRY CASE THEN SCATTER OVER THE HALVED FIGS AND AND REMAINING SAGE LEAVES | PLACE THE TART BACK INTO THE OVEN

WHEN THE FRANGIPANE HAS PUFFED UP AND BEGAN TO TURN GOLDEN (AFTER AROUND 35–40 MINUTES) SCATTER OVER THE FLAKED ALMONDS AND A LITTLE SUGAR | COOK FOR A FURTHER 4–5 MINUTES | REMOVE FROM THE OVEN AND ALLOW TO COOL A LITTLE, BEFORE SERVING WAR2