Mmmm... I love this combination of figs and frangipane! Each ingredient is delicious on its own and to bring them together is rich and very satisfying!
The frangipane in this recipe is what we will need working on. What is frangipane by the way? Is it made using the frangipane flower?
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No. It may have the same name as the flower but the frangipane to eat is actually a mix of ground almonds and cream. It is especially prominent in the 'Roi des Galettes' tart that is served traditionally end of January every year in France.
To explain the recipe in brief, we have to first blind bake the pastry dough. While it's baking, we will prepare the frangipane mix. Wash and cut the figs. Once the pastry dough is baked, we lay the frangipane mix and the figs on it, and bake it one more time for good in the oven.
Ingredients for the recipe:
6 ripe figs
1 pâte feuilletée or puff pastry, ready made. Choose a high quality brand even if more expensive.
Frangipane mix:
100g softened butter (don't heat it, let it stay out long enough at room temperature)
80g castor sugar
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp rum or amaretto
40ml water
110g almond flour (ground almond)
20g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp honey
Method:
1. First, unroll the tart from the packaging. Place a parchment paper on top of the baking tray (mine is of diameter 20cm) . Place the pastry dough on top of the paper. Take a fork and using the tines, prick gently all over the pastry to make several tiny holes. These holes will prevent bubbles from forming in the pastry once it is in the oven.
2. Take another parchment sheet, crumple it completely with your hands (to remove the stiffness of the paper) and then place it on top of the pastry dough. Weight has to be added on top of the pastry, for which I have used uncooked, dried chickpeas. Put this in the oven and let it bake 180°C for 10 mins.
3. After the 15mins are done, take the tray out from the oven. Remove the chickpeas and the parchment sheet on which the chickpeas were resting. Put the pastry dough back into the oven (the top layer will have been uncooked due to the chickpeas on it) and cook for another 10 mins at 180°C.
4. While the pastry dough cooks for the second time in the oven, we can get started on the frangipane mix. Take a big bowl. Put in the butter (make sure the butter has softened to room temperature). Use a spatula and break the butter, mixing it. Add in the castor sugar. Mix the butter and sugar well.
5. Next, add in a whole egg. Use a whisk at this point and mix vigorously.
6. Add in the pinch of salt, vanilla extract and rum. Whisk well.
7. Add in the water. Again, mix well.
8. Add the almond flour and all-purpose flour. Again mix well.
9. Voila! the frangipane mix is done. While preparing it, the pastry dough should have finished baking and taken out of oven to cool down. Make sure the dough is cooled down enough and then lay the frangipane mix on it.
10. Spread the frangipane mix well all over the tart. (The frangipane mix is so yummy, difficult to stop yourself eating it!). Keep it aside while we get out the figs from the fridge.
11. Prepare the figs. Wash them. Chop off a bit of the base and then slice them vertically and thinly (not too thin!). At this point, switch on the oven to 180°C.
12. Lay out the slices as attractively as possible on the frangipane mix. There is no need to press the figs down into the mix because in the oven heat, the figs will automatically sink down.
How pretty it looks already!
13. The oven should have reached 180°C by now. Place the tray into the oven and let it do its magic for the next 35 mins. Once done, let it out of the oven and place it undisturbed in a spot until it has cooled down.
15. Bon appétit! I hope you are going to give this a try! I am off hunting for more mushrooms in the forest with the beautiful season we have now!
