These figs and pistachio frangipane tartlets are joy to make and to eat, period. Forgotten how many times we’ve made these tarts since we discovered the recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Sweet. Right now, these are our favorite dessert. We never have enough of them. The only trouble is the supply of fresh ripe figs, especially given our limited capacity to shop around.
There are so many flavors and texture you can find in these tiny packages. From the shortcrust pastry shell on the outer layer to the juicy and eye-catching slice of figs. From the bottom layer of pistachio frangipane cream to the sprinkling of blitzed pistachios. Every component serve to contribute to the out-sized success far beyond the tiny fig and pistachio tartlets.
The packages may be small, but there are no getting around the many components in the making of the tartlets. First, the sweet shortcrust pastry dough. This dough is unusual in that it has both a delicate snap, yet is robust enough to contain the fillings. The pastry is blind-baked and the shells get very light and crisp. The recipe calls for making more dough than required, but no one is complaining about the excess cookie dough on hand.
The same can be said about the pistachio frangipane cream. Frangipane is the perfect filling, in my book, for most fruit tarts. You can find it in traditional French dessert tarts made with ground almonds. Besides, what can be better than adding shell pistachio kernels to the mix? To top it off, there are the finely grated lemon zest and the optional brandy. I can eat spoonfuls of the outrageous pistachio frangipane cream on its own or on toasts!
The star of the show is clearly the fig. You don’t need a lot. Just three large figs, quartered, or six small figs, halved. Place one in the middle of each tart. There is simply not much you can improve on these delightful treats than with fresh ripe figs, melty and intensely flavorful after baking. Small tarts, but carry big flavor.
Fig and Pistachio Frangipane Tartlets
Ingredients
- FOR THE SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY:
- 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 90g icing sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 200g unsalted butter, fridge-cold, cut into cubes, plus an extra 10g, melted, for brushing
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (1 tsp)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 20ml water
- FOR THE PISTACHIO FRANGIPANE CREAM:
- 90g shelled pistachios, plus extra, blitzed, to finish (optional)
- 35g ground almonds
- 35g plain flour
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 125g caster sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (1 tsp)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp brandy (optional)
- 3 large ripe figs, quartered
Instructions
MAKE THE PASTRY DOUGH: Sift the flour, icing sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and lemon zest, then pulse a few times, until the mixture is the consistency of fresh breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg yolk and water, then add to the mix: the dough should feel quite wet. Process once more, just until the dough comes together, then tip on to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough into a ball, wrap loosely in cling-film and press gently into a flattish disc. The dough will be very soft, so keep it in the fridge for at least an hour (or up to three days).
Lightly brush the moulds of a regular muffin tin with melted butter and dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
PREPARE THE PASTRY FOR THE MUFFIN TINS: If the dough has been in the fridge for more than a few hours, let it rest at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before rolling. Tip it out on to on a lightly floured worktop, tap all over with a rolling pin to soften slightly, then roll out to 2-3mm thick. Using a 10cm or 11cm round cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles, and gently ease these into the muffin moulds, pressing them down to fill the moulds. Refrigerate the muffin tin for at least an hour.
BAKE THE PASTRY SHELLS: Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line the pastry cases with baking paper or liners. Fill with a layer of rice or baking beans, and blind-bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry shells are light golden brown around the edges. Remove the paper and rice or beans, then leave the shells to cool in the tin.
MAKE THE FRANGIPANE CREAM: Put the pistachios in the small bowl of a food processor and grind until fine but not oily. Transfer to a small bowl, and mix in the ground almonds, flour and salt. Put the butter, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment in place. Cream on a medium speed for a minute or two, until light but not too fluffy, then turn the speed to low and gradually add the beaten eggs. Don’t worry if the mix curdles a bit at this stage: it will come together again later. Add the nut/flour mix, beat on a low speed until combined, then add the brandy (if using).
FILL THE TARTS AND BAKE: Turn up the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Using a piping bag or two dessert spoons, fill the baked tart cases (still in their tin) with frangipane to come about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the cases. Place a quarter-fig cut side up in the middle of each tart, and press down gently, so it’s slightly embedded in the mixture. Once all the cases are filled, bake for about 20 minutes, until the frangipane starts to brown at the edges but the middle is still slightly soft. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then ease the tarts out of their moulds and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve sprinkled with blitzed pistachios, if you like.
Notes
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/02/pavlova-cheesecake-yotam-ottolenghi-dessert-millionaires-shortbread-knickerbocker-glory-recipes-sweet
3 Comments
Kim Tracy
September 6, 2020 at 7:07 pmI love how beautiful the sliced fig looks in the center. I can see why these are a favorite, Shirley. So glad you are able to enjoy them!
I was able to go to Whole Foods yesterday for the first time since the pandemic started. They had figs. Loads of them, several varieties. I wonder if your local store is the same?
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