ALMOND FRANGIPANI TART
MAKES 1 MEDIUM TART / PREPARATION: 30 MINS / BAKING: 30-40 MINS / CHILLING: 1½ HRS
This recipe makes plenty of dough. Use what is needed for the crust and bake cookies from the rest or roll into a log and freeze for later use.
CRUST
250g ice-cold butter, cubed 250ml (1c) icing sugar, sifted 500ml (2c) cake flour
80ml (¹⁄₃c) cornflour 80ml (¹⁄₃c) poppy seeds
FILLING
150g roasted almonds (50g can be pistachio nuts, if preferred)
35g cake flour pinch of salt 125g butter, room temperature 125g castor sugar finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 large figs, halved horizontally
TO SERVE chopped nuts, to garnish (optional) extra thick yoghurt, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a round tart tin with non-stick spray and dust with flour. For individual tartlets, line large muffin tin hollows.
1 Crust Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz till the butter is thoroughly mixed into the flour and a soft dough is formed. 2 Remove from the food processor, shape into a ball and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 3 Remove from the refrigerator and roll the dough into a long log. Cut into thick slices and arrange in the prepared tin. Evenly press onto the bottom and sides of the tin. Refrigerate for 1 hour, run a knife over the edges to cut away the excess dough (if any) and then bake blind (see savoury tart).
4 Filling Grind the nuts in a food processor until fine, but not a paste. 5 Transfer the ground nuts to a small bowl, add flour and salt. Mix.
6 Beat together the butter and sugar with an electric beater in a large bowl until creamy, add the lemon zest. Add the eggs one by one while beating. 7 Fold in the nut-flour mixture.
8 Fill the baked tart crust with the almond mixture, then arrange the cut figs on top. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 180°C or until slightly browned around the edges and set in the middle.
9 To serve Set aside to cool before serving with the chopped nuts
(if using) and the yoghurt.