By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 2 hours, plus at least 5 hours' chilling
- Rating
- 4(628)
- Notes
- Read community notes
The photogenic tart will make you look like a pastry chef, though it's no more difficult than baking a pie. A sweet tart crust is layered with almond cream, fig jam (homemade is nice, but store-bought works well, too) and fresh figs. The key to success is superb figs. They can’t be so jammy that they collapse when you cut them into quarters or sixths. But they should be sweet and ripe. The dough recipe below makes two crusts, one for now and one for later (store extra dough, well-wrapped, in the freezer).
Featured in: The No-Muss, No-Fuss Beauty of a Fig Tart
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Ingredients
Yield:One 9-inch tart
- 6ounces/168 grams unsalted butter (1½ sticks), preferably French style with 82 percent fat, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
- ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1cup/112 grams confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- Rounded ⅓ cup/39 grams almond flour, sifted
- 1½teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1extra-large egg, beaten
- 2⅔cups/315 grams all-purpose flour or cake flour, sifted
- ⅔cup/70 grams almond flour
- ¾cup/70 grams confectioners' sugar
- ¾teaspoon cornstarch
- 1teaspoon cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 5tablespoons/2½ ounces/70 grams unsalted butter, preferably French style, at room temperature
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- ½teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼teaspoon almond extract
- 1extra-large egg, beaten
- 1tablespoon dark rum
- ½cup/150 grams fig jam, either homemade or store-bought
- 18ounces/500 grams fresh figs
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
For the Crust
For the Tart
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Prepare the crust: In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sea salt on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula and add confectioners’ sugar. Combine with butter at low speed. Once incorporated, scrape down bowl and paddle. Add almond flour and vanilla extract and combine at low speed.
Step
2
Gradually add egg and a quarter of the flour (scant ½ cup or 55 grams). Beat at low speed until just incorporated. Scrape down bowl and paddle. Gradually add remaining flour and mix just until dough comes together, stopping from time to time to scrape in any mixture adhering to sides and bottom of bowl. Do not overbeat. Dough should be soft to the touch.
Step
3
Separate dough into two equal portions. Gently press each portion into a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Double-wrap airtight in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one dough portion for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight; chill or freeze the second portion for another use.
Step
4
Very lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. (You should not be able to see the butter.) On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 10 ½-inch circle, ¼ inch thick. Dust work surface and dough often, and work quickly so dough remains cold. Gently roll dough over lightly dusted rolling pin and transfer to pan, gently easing it in and trimming the top edge. Chill uncovered for at least 1 hour, preferably longer.
Step
5
Prepare the tart: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch and flour into a medium bowl.
Step
6
Place butter, salt and vanilla and almond extracts in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and beat 1 minute at medium speed. Scrape down bowl and paddle, and add almond flour mixture. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute, until incorporated. Stop, scrape down bowl and paddle, then turn on machine and gradually add egg. Add rum and beat at medium speed until egg and rum are incorporated.
Step
7
Remove tart shell from refrigerator and place on a baking sheet. Using a fork, pierce rows across surface of crust, about 1 inch apart. Scrape almond cream onto crust and, using a small offset or rubber spatula, spread evenly over crust.
Step
8
Place in oven and bake 40 minutes, until crust and almond cream are golden brown and the tip of a knife comes out clean when inserted into cream. Remove from oven and let cool for 40 minutes on a rack.
Step
9
Using a small spatula, spread fig jam over surface of tart in an even layer.
Step
10
Remove stems from figs. Cut small and medium figs into quarters, large figs into sixths or eights. Arrange in concentric circles, starting with the rim, with the stem end down. Slices should angle upwards. If not serving right away, refrigerate. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Ratings
4
out of 5
628
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Cooking Notes
Erin
I can't be the only person who is driven bonkers by the use of a stand mixer here. The vast, vast majority of people do not have a stand mixer. Furthermore, pastry has been made for centuries, so simply and so quickly, without help from KitchenAid and their ilk. There's no reason to call for this bulky and expensive equipment to complete a straightforward task. Please provide alternative instructions, or you'll lose budding tart-makers in the first paragraph.
Real Cook
Dear Erin,
Don't go bonkers. Get out your hand mixer and celebrate. Either works just fine. If you have no mixer, a strong arm and a big spoon will get the job done. That's what our grandmothers used.
I have had all three, but I'm old, have arthritis, and have lost strength, so the stand mixer is a life saver. What mixer one uses is not the important thing. Cooking with love and fun is. So, buy some figs, some fig jam, some almond flour, and go to it. It will be yummy.
Picacho 77
From the other side of the stand mixer divide: In 2013 we downsized. We sold nearly everything we owned. I've said many times the only thing I missed was my KitchenAid stand mixer. I bought another one and use it at least once a week. Just sayin'
Rosemary W
Do you think you can use Marian Burros' classic plum torte for this recipe and just substitute figs for the plums?
Scottie
Two changes. Put the crust between two large pieces of parchment paper and roll out. This prevents having to add more flour and makes flipping it into the tart pan easier. The second is just practical. Rather than beginning at the outside, start in the center with the figs, pushing down the tip. Then nestle the next ring under it. This way if you start to run out of figs, just complete the current circle.
Tomese
Made this yesterday and it's certainly a keeper in my recipe file. The dough is lovely to work with. So many different fruits would be great on this. My only word of caution - mine cooked in only 20 minutes, and it's a good thing I checked it then, because it was quite browned. I had some crab apple jelly on hand, so I melted and thinned it a bit, and glazed the figs with it. It would have been perfectly at home in any Parisian patisserie window.
anita
...because it's a dessert?
picosinge
Think of the why and how instead of simply following a recipe. The first paragraph describes creaming the butter and sugar and adding the almond meal and flour. The purpose is to incorporate some air into the dough and combine butter and sugar and not to over-mix after flour is added.
Have been baking by hand for 40 years. Recently bought a stand mixer and it has been god sent as I can no longer churn out the increasing demand for bread and pastries from friends and not trigger tendonitis.
Keith
Erin, centuries before mixers, folks used their hands, elbow grease and spioons. There you go.....that's the big secret
Laura
I may never make this tart, but I can still imagine making it, how I would go about gathering the ingredients, and the equipment, including my dearly loved stand blender. I can dream of what it would be like to cut all the figs in perfectly matching shapes and lovingly place them to look like a fabulously designed Erte cape. So, yeah I will probably never make it but who cares.
bluetomatoes
Not sure what the debate is over a stand mixer. Use what you have.
Jam -- we found a layer of jam too sweet, at least what we could find. Personal preference but I'd recommend a jam leaning on the tart side. We plan to also try lemon curd or creme fraiche the next time.
Used nowhere near the 18 oz of figs. Also, found choosing figs of the same ripeness gave the fig layer a more consistent look in terms of color. Found less ripe figs easier to handle but riper figs tasted better
Passion for Peaches
Why? This is a fairly standard baked tart with almond cream. If the arrangement of the figs is what you find daunting (and worthy of snark), keep in mind that precise arrangement isn't necessary for this to taste good.
recox
My first thought would be pie cherries because of the almond cream. Anything that you like with marzipan would probably work really well -- perhaps raspberries, glazed with melted raspberry jelly? I think even a bit of chocolate would work; maybe drizzle the cherries with some melted dark chocolate? How about fresh apricots topped with some slivered almonds browned in butter? Sliced bartlett pears glazed with jam to prevent browning? It depends on how rich you like your desserts!
cruzer5
Apricot might be nice.
Nancy
The word "cream" would tell a cook what to do with the butter and sugar, should he/she only have a big spoon. The word "add" is pretty clear. Terminology is important and the cook needs to learn a few terms.
I have never made a tart and this looks interesting. I am imagining any fruit that is not too juicy.
BTW, I have made lots of pies, using two knives to cut the fat into the flour, and do think the word "process" conveys no information.
lollie
Better yet grow your own fig tree. There is nothing like freshly picked ripe figs!
SMF
We are s lucky to have several fig trees, and this is one of my favorite sweet recipes for the harvest
Amy
This tart crust recipe is the best. I’m going to use it for every tart from now on. It’s super easy to work with, doesn’t shrink, stays dry during baking, and tastes delicious. The rug tart itself is quite a dry style tart, as in there is no pastry cream and the frangipane layer almost feels like a layer of the crust (albeit a fragrant, delicious component). It’s very good but just in case that’s a factor!
aimee365
Major hit! Made according to recipe using homemade fig jam. I think this will work with apples too.
Malena
One of the best cakes I have ever baked. However, start a day ahead or you will spend HOURS in the kitchen.
Edward
I had good luck with this, with some changes. I found the crust overly fussy but I liked the ingredients (and I hate leftovers). So I did a "normal" crust with these ingredients: In food processor, 1/4 cup confectioners sugar, 20g almond flour, 3/4 tsp vanilla, 160g flour. Process. Add 3 oz. butter (very cold) until pea-sized pieces. Then add a medium egg (or use a large one and take a bit away). Process until it comes together. That is your tart shell. Refrigerate for an hour then roll out.
C Cramer
Divine! I was worried it would be too sweet but it’s fabulous. (However I did reduce the sugar in the jam to 300g and used less jam than called for, making just a thin layer.) I would note that both jam and tart are to overnight in the fridge, so start a day ahead! ;)
Suzi
This is a crowd pleaser. I love hearing the Ooh and ash’s.
R. Menza
Works well even with GF flour and a regular hand mixer.
Matthew
I have made this tart probably 6-7 times now, to the letter, and every time it comes out perfect and delicious. It’s surprisingly easy yet looks like it’s out of a French patisserie. Cover with foil and enjoy for the whole week!
LJH
I never knew how much I liked figs until I made this delectable, gorgeous tart.
Joy
I made this with the figs in my back yard. It was an all day affair because I made the jam too. It came out like a French bakery tart my family loved it. Thank you.
ashley
Do not attempt crust with gluten free flour, will turn hard as a rock ☹️
Levana
Delicious. Perfect as is, though maybe a little too sweet.
Diane
I have made this tart with great success every year since the recipe was published in 2016. This time I goofed. Do NOT refrigerate the assembled tart if you plan to serve it the same day. I never did this before. The crust turned to concrete because I did not remove the tart from the fridge a few hours before serving. The next day, I placed it on the counter in the morning, and it transformed to the perfect texture. This tart is a winner.
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