figs Archives - Page 2 of 2 - H is for Home Harbinger

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

BBC Good Food Magazine

Print recipe Pin recipe

Cook Time 1 15

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 4

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

Keyword figs, fruit tart, marzipan, tart

Hazelnut and fig frangipane cake

Ingredients

for the cake
100 g hazelnuts
140 g butter softened
140 g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs
60 g ground almonds
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ nutmeg finely grated
60 g self raising flour
6 soft dried figs
for the syrup
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp hot water
Icing sugar and a few rough chopped hazelnuts to decorate (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160ºC /325ºF/Gas mark 3
Grease a 23cm/9inch round, loose-bottom cake tin
Put the hazelnuts in a dry, heavy-bottomed saucepan and set over a medium heat to toast for around 5 minutes, shaking every so often to make sure they don't burn
Tip out onto a clean tea towel and rub vigorously to remove the skins
Using a mini food processor or similar, finely grind the hazelnuts and set aside
Cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy
In a small measuring jug, gently whisk the eggs before adding them to the butter & sugar in three stages, mixing after each addition
Add the ground hazelnuts, almonds, vanilla and grated nutmeg
Gently fold in the flour until just combined
Spoon the mixture into the greased cake tin and level out with a spatula
With a pair of scissors, remove the hard stalk from the figs and press each gently into the mixture
Sprinkle the top of the cake with a little caster sugar
Bake for 40 minutes until a skewer inserted comes away clean
Cool in the tin on a wire rack for a few minutes
Dilute the honey with the teaspoon of hot water
Poke a few holes in the cake whilst it's still warm and spoon over the syrup evenly over the top
Remove from the tin, dust with icing sugar and a few chopped, toasted hazelnuts and serve warm with mascarpone or Greek yoghurt and a nice cup of tea!