Fig and Honey Tart with Fresh Thyme

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
• •Food processor
• •Rolling pin
• •Pie weights or dried beans
• •Parchment paper

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the tart dough

   Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces remaining. Add the egg yolk and pulse just until the dough begins to clump. If it seems dry, add ice water one teaspoon at a time. The moment it holds together when pressed, stop. Overworked dough makes tough crust.

   Cold butter is everything. If your kitchen runs warm, freeze the cubes for ten minutes before you begin.
2. 2

   Shape and chill the crust

   Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Press it into a flat disk about an inch thick. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour. This rest hydrates the flour and relaxes the gluten. Rushed dough shrinks in the pan.

3. 3

   Roll and fit the crust

   On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a circle about twelve inches across and a scant quarter inch thick. Work from the center outward, rotating the dough a quarter turn after every few strokes. Transfer to a nine-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press gently into the corners without stretching. Trim the excess, leaving a small overhang. Prick the bottom with a fork. Freeze for twenty minutes while you make the frangipane.

   Save the scraps. Reroll them, cut into small rounds, and bake with a dusting of cinnamon sugar for the cook.
4. 4

   Prepare the almond cream

   Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and creamy, about two minutes. Add the almond flour and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Fold in the tablespoon of flour, the almond extract, and the pinch of salt. The frangipane should be smooth and spreadable, pale and fluffy.

5. 5

   Blind bake the crust

   Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line the frozen crust with parchment and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for fifteen minutes. Remove the weights and parchment. Bake another five to eight minutes until the bottom looks dry and the edges are just beginning to turn golden. A pale, soggy bottom ruins even the best filling.

6. 6

   Fill and arrange the figs

   Spread the frangipane evenly over the warm crust. Cut the figs in half from stem to base. Arrange them cut side up in concentric circles, pressing gently into the almond cream. They should nestle close but not crowd. Leave a little space for the filling to puff around them.

7. 7

   Bake until golden

   Bake at 375°F for thirty to thirty-five minutes. The frangipane should be puffed and golden, the figs softened and slightly caramelized at the edges. A toothpick inserted into the almond cream should come out clean. The center may wobble slightly but will set as it cools.

   If the edges brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the final ten minutes.
8. 8

   Finish with honey and thyme

   Let the tart cool in the pan for ten minutes. Warm the honey gently, just enough to make it pourable. Drizzle it over the figs while the tart is still warm so it soaks into the crevices. Scatter the fresh thyme leaves and a few flakes of sea salt. The honey brings sweetness, the thyme brings the garden, the salt pulls it all into focus.

Chef Tips

• •Choose figs that give slightly when pressed but are not mushy. They should smell like honey at the stem end. If they have no fragrance, they have no flavor.
• •Local honey tastes different everywhere. The wildflower honey from your region will give this tart a character that belongs to your place and your moment.
• •Fresh thyme, not dried. The oils in fresh leaves release when they hit the warm honey. Dried thyme tastes like medicine in comparison.
• •If figs are not in season, do not make this tart. Wait. Anticipation is part of the pleasure. Or use ripe stone fruit in summer, pears in autumn, and come back to figs when September arrives.

Advance Preparation

• •The tart dough can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
• •The frangipane can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before spreading.
• •The finished tart is best the day it is baked. By the second day, the crust softens. Still delicious, but not the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)