We have some friends that live nearby who are having their kitchen renovated. For the next few weeks, all they’ll have to cook on is a single-burner camping stove.
We’ve been in the exact same position in the past – it’s such a drag! We invited them round to ours for dinner tonight so we thought we’d cook them something that they can’t currently make at home.
Justin’s making the main course – chicken breasts filled with a fennel, pastrami and chicken mousse with a spinach and pine nut lasagne – and I’m making the dessert.
In keeping with the loosely Mediterranean theme, I’ve cooked a honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart. You can buy ready-made shortcrust pastry to make the base, but it’s really easy to make yourself at home – a simple 2-minute job… honest!
I’ve not made this tart before – I hope it’s a hit with everyone tonight!
Honey-roasted fig & marzipan tart
Ingredients
- 500g/18oz pack shortcrust pastry at room temperature or make your own
- 4 ripe fresh figs stalks trimmed
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tbs clear honey
- 100 g/3½oz softened butter
- 100 g/3½oz golden caster sugar
- 100 g3½oz ground almonds
- 1 medium egg yolk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6
- Grease a shallow, loose-bottomed 20cm flan tin
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly-floured work surface
- Line the tin, carefully pushing it into the base & sides and making sure the pastry comes above the rim. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
- In the meantime, halve the figs lengthways and put them cut side up on a roasting tray
- In a small measuring jug, combine the lemon juice and honey before pouring the liquid over the figs
- Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes until just soft
- Drain off the juice (if any) and reserve
- Remove the pastry case from the fridge and prick the base all over with a fork, line with a circle of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes
- Remove the paper & beans and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the pastry is golden
- Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas mark 2 Leave the pastry case to cool slightly before filling
- In a food processor or using an electric beater, cream the butter and sugar until smooth & pale
- Add the ground almonds and whiz briefly to combine
- Add the egg yolk and 1 tbsp of the reserved fig juice and whiz again until smooth
- Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the marzipan evenly over the pastry case base
- Gently press the figs, cut side up, into the almond mixture
- Bake for 1¼ hours or until the top turns golden all over
- Leave in the tin for 15 minutes before removing sides and transfer to a wire rack to cool
- Serve cool or cold with crème fraîche or clotted cream