Recipe OF THE WEEK

FIG & VANILLA CUSTARD TART

Serves: 6 Preparation time: 50 minutes Cooking time: 60 minutes INGREDIENTS: 1 egg 175g plain flour 75g butter 2 tsp caster sugar 1 egg yolk 1 vanilla pod 5 Turkish figs 1 egg 300ml double cream 3 tbsp clear honey

METHOD:

1 Beat eggs. Chill butter. Split vanilla pods and scrape out and retain seeds. Halve the Turkish figs.

2 Put the flour in a large bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips to make fine breadcrumbs.

3 Stir in the sugar. Stir enough of the beaten egg into the mix to form a soft dough. Knead briefly, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

4 Heat the oven to 190C/375f/gas 5 (170C for fan ovens).

5 Roll out the pastry and line one 23cm loosebottomed tart tin per tart being made. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes.

6 Remove the paper and beans. Return the pastry case to the oven for 5 minutes; remove and cool.

7 Whisk together the cream, egg and egg yolk and half the honey. Stir in the vanilla seeds and pour it into the pastry case.

8 Nestle the figs, cut-side up, into the custard mixture and drizzle over the remaining honey. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the custard has just set.