Fig Tart Recipe: How to Make a Fresh Fig Tart

For the vanilla sablé tart shell:

• ½ cup and 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 9 tablespoon unsalted premium butter, softened (plus more to butter your tart ring)
• 1 large egg
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour (plus more as needed for dusting)
• ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the pastry cream:

• 2¼ cups whole milk
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 9 egg yolks
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened and cubed

For the assembly:

• 12 fresh figs, quartered lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons honey

1. 1

   In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the confectioners’ sugar and butter for 30 seconds on low speed.

2. 2

   Add the egg, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix on medium speed until evenly combined.

3. 3

   In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt.

4. 4

   With the mixer on low speed, stir in the flour mixture and vanilla until just combined and no more dry patches are visible, about 10 seconds more.

5. 5

   Finish mixing the dough by hand to ensure it is not over-mixed. The dough should be creamy, smooth and have the consistency of cookie dough.

6. 6

   Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper on your work surface and sandwich it with another sheet of parchment paper, flattening it into a 1-inch thick disk. Transfer the dough disk to a sheet pan or baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, 30 to 45 minutes.

7. 7

   Liberally flour the work surface and a rolling pin.

8. 8

   Unwrap the dough and transfer it to your work surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. (Make sure to work fast so the dough doesn’t get too warm.)

9. 9

   Place the dough on a sheet pan and loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (If you feel your dough is still cold and easy to work with, you can proceed directly to the next step without chilling the dough sheet.) You can also roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment if you find that your rolling pin is sticking to the dough. It also helps when transferring the rolled-out dough onto the sheet pan before chilling in the fridge.

10. 10

    Remove the dough from the refrigerator and slide the dough sheet to a work surface. (Peel off the layers of parchment paper if using.)

11. 11

    Using the tart ring as a guide, cut a circle from the center of the dough sheet that is 1 inch wider than the outside of the ring so that the dough round will be big enough to come up the sides of the ring.

12. 12

    Butter the inside of the tart ring. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place the tart ring at the center of the pan. Place the dough round on top of the ring. Push down gently with your fingers and press the dough along the inside of the ring, making sure to get into the inside edges. It’s important here not to press too hard and to keep the tart shell an even thickness so that it doesn’t bake unevenly. Use a paring knife to trim the excess dough hanging over the edge of the ring.

13. 13

    Return to the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. Tip: If your dough starts to feel warm and loses its shape, return it to the fridge for 15 minutes. Chilling the dough allows the gluten to rest. Working with dough that’s too warm or overworked will cause the finished product to shrink while baking.

14. 14

    While the tart shell is chilling, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for conventional or 325 degrees Fahrenheit for convection.

15. 15

    Blind-bake the tart shell by lining it with parchment paper or a large coffee filter so the surface of the dough is completely covered. An easy trick to folding the parchment is similar to folding a snowflake, where you fold it in quarters and keep folding smaller segments to the point, cutting in a curve to form a circle. Press the parchment entirely to the side of the tart dough.

16. 16

    Fill with enough rice or dried beans to hold down as weights (or use pie weights if you have them).

17. 17

    Bake the tart on the center rack for 15 to 20 minutes, until it’s a light golden, sandy color and you don’t see any wet spots. This particular tart dough won’t rise too much, so if you don’t blind-bake the tart shell in advance, it’s still going to be okay.

18. 18

    Bake the tart shell on the center rack for 8 minutes.

19. 19

    Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for 8 more minutes or until the tart shell is a light golden brown.

20. 20

    Unmold the tart shell while still warm. Let cool completely at room temperature on a wire rack.

21. 21

    Whisk together all of the ingredients for the pastry cream until smooth. Pour into the pastry shell.

22. 22

    Arrange the figs, cut side up, in a circular pattern in the tart.

23. 23

    Mix the honey with 1 tablespoon of water and brush over the figs.

24. 24

    Bake until the custard filling is mostly set but still wobbly in the center, 35–45 minutes.

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