This easier-to-make-than-it-looks Fig Frangipane Tart is a spectacular addition to holiday tables, but it’s also a delightful brunch-time or teatime treat.

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Every fall, I eagerly await the arrival of fresh figs at the market. It’s such a naturally gorgeous fruit—one of nature’s masterpieces, really.

Fresh figs can be expensive, but if you keep your eyes peeled for them, you can score boxes of 12 to 16 figs at a fairly reasonable price. This is when I stock up and make my yearly batch of Balsamic Fig Jam, one of my favorite condiments to serve with cheeses and charcuteries.

Although you can use fresh figs in lots of savory dishes, my favorite way to highlight their sweet, plump flesh is—unsurprisingly—in desserts. Often, I’ll simply drizzle quartered figs with maple syrup and roast them in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Roasted figs become super jammy and sweet and can then be used in so many ways: to garnish your morning granola or yogurt, over ice cream or gelato, as a topping for easy panna cotta, over crêpes, waffles, or cake—with a generous amount of additional maple syrup! I also like to use maple-roasted figs as a luxurious topping for financiers: it’s a delightful way to upgrade an otherwise super easy French dessert.

This year, I bought fresh figs on a whim (as I usually do in the fall), but I was super busy, so I just shoved them to the back of the fridge and forgot about them. When I found them again a week later, they were right on the verge of turning to waste. I needed to use them as soon as possible, but I was still in the weeds with work. I tried to think of an easy way to highlight them, and then at lunchtime, I whipped up a fig frangipane tart between two bites of sandwich.

This Honeyed Fig Frangipane Tart turned out even better than I expected. Frangipane tart is one of my go-to desserts for showcasing seasonal fruits because it’s so easy to pull together: you make a quick press-in crust, whisk together the frangipane filling, top it with fresh fruits, bake—and you’re done! Frangipane tart is one of those desserts that looks incredibly elegant but is foolproof to make.

On my first try, to make this Fig Frangipane Tart even faster, I skipped over the extra fig roasting step, opting to dip the quartered fresh figs into warm honey. This gave them extra sweetness and helped them become properly tender upon baking. I loved the floral flavor honey added to the tart.

The next time I made the tart—by then I knew this dessert was a winner, and so I wanted to make sure my recipe was perfect—I tried roasting the figs before adding them to the tart. The result was delicious, but the difference in flavor didn’t justify the extra step. Plus, because the figs were so soft, they disappeared into the frangipane as it puffed up. A big part of the pleasure of baking with figs comes from enjoying their beauty, I think. I decided simple was best.

This Honeyed Fig Frangipane Tart would look spectacular on any holiday table, but don’t confine it only to dessert. This tart is a delightful brunch-time treat and an exceptional addition to a teatime spread.

Helpful Tips for Making Fig Frangipane Tart

• Make-ahead—some of it: You can break down the making of this fig frangipane tart by baking the crust the day before. Simply bake the tart shell as indicated, then let it cool completely on a wire rack. Loosely cover the cooled shell with plastic wrap, and finish baking the pie the next day.

• Halve or quarter, depending on plumpness: If you have small figs on hand (1.5 in/4 cm in diameter or less), simply halve them before adding them to the tart. If the figs are especially plump, it’s best to quarter them to make sure they’ll become properly tender and sweet upon baking.

• Add jam to the mix—or skip it: To add an extra fig dimension to the dessert, I covered the bottom of the fig frangipane tart shell with fig jam. This is an optional step and you can be assured that the tart will be just as delightful if you skip the jam.

• Switch it up and use maple syrup instead: This fig frangipane tart would be absolutely dreamy if you substituted maple syrup for the honey used in the recipe. Simply swap in maple syrup, both in the frangipane filling, and for dipping the figs in, and bake as indicated.

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Honeyed Fig Frangipane Tart

This easier-to-make-than-it-looks Fig Frangipane Tart is a spectacular addition to holiday tables, but it's also a delightful brunch-time or teatime treat.

Prep Time:25 mins

Cook Time:55 mins

Total Time:1 hr 20 mins

Servings 8 servings (one 9-in / 23 cm tart)

Author Marie Asselin, FoodNouveau.com

Ingredients

For the almond crust

• 2 cups 192 g almond flour
• 3/4 cup 94 g all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup 50 g granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp 1 ml kosher salt, or fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup 57 g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg lightly beaten

For the honey frangipane filling

• 1/2 cup 76 g butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup 80 ml honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp 2 ml almond extract
• 1 cup 96 g almond flour
• 1/4 cup 31 g all-purpose flour

For the honeyed figs

• 6 to 8 fresh figs
• 2 tbsp 30 ml honey, warm
• For the honey glaze optional
• 3 tbsp 45 ml honey
• 1 tsp 5 ml water

Instructions

• For the almond crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-in (23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the almond flour, flour, sugar, and salt together. Add the melted butter and egg and stir using a fork to incorporate to the dry ingredients. (The crust should be crumbly and damp-looking, with no visible traces of dry ingredients left.) Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared tart pan. Using your hands, carefully press the mixture down over the bottom and sides of the pan to form the crust. Bake for 20 minutes.
• For the honey frangipane filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl if you're using a hand mixer, beat the butter and honey together until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Add one egg, beat to incorporate, then add the second egg. Mix in the almond extract. In a small bowl, whisk the almond flour and all-purpose flour together, then add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix just until combined. Transfer the frangipane mixture to the baked tart shell and spread into an even layer.
• For the honeyed figs: Slice the figs in halves or quarters, depending on their size. Dip the cut sides of the figs into the warm honey, then set over the frangipane filling, cut side(s) up. Arrange the figs in a pretty pattern around the tart without overlapping them. Keep adding figs until the entire top of the tart is covered, without overcrowding.
• Bake the fig frangipane tart for about 35 minutes, or until the center of the tart is puffed and firm, and the edges are golden. Transfer to a wire rack. To glaze, warm the honey and water together and whisk to combine. Use a pastry brush to gently brush the honey glaze all over the top of the tart. Let cool completely.
• SERVING: Slice the fig frangipane tart and serve on its own, or with a dollop of whipped cream, a spoonful of vanilla bean gelato or salted butter caramel ice cream, or a drizzle of butterscotch sauce.
• STORAGE: The fig frangipane tart will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. (The crust will soften over time.) Always return the tart to room temperature or rewarm in a low oven for a few minutes before enjoying.

Did you make this?

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