The first time I saw a fresh fig was nearly three decades ago when I was living in upstate New York. I had no idea what it was. Then I moved to California and saw them everywhere. I can’t say for sure that fresh figs were the reason I stayed put there for so long, but they certainly were one of them.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 9-inch (23-cm) tart; 8 servings

　　

Dough

1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour

　　1/2 cup (40 g) sliced blanched almonds

　　1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (1.5-cm) pieces and chilled

　　2 large egg yolks

　　3/4 teaspoon almond extract

　　

Filling

1/4 cup (65 g) raspberry jam (with seeds or seedless)

　　12 ripe fresh figs

　　1 1/4 cups (6 ounces/170 g) raspberries

　　3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey, warmed

　　

Step 1

To make the dough, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, grind the flour, almonds, sugar, and salt until the almonds are very fine and powdery. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces about the size of grains of rice. Add the egg yolks and the almond extract, then let the machine run until the dough starts to come together. Transfer the dough to a work surface, knead it briefly with your hands until smooth, press the dough into a disk.

　　

Step 2

Very lightly butter a 9-inch (23-cm) tart pan with a removable bottom, or use one with a nonstick coating. Transfer the dough disk to the pan. Using your hands, press the dough as evenly as possible into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Freeze the dough-lined tart pan for at least 30 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

　　

Step 4

Set the tart pan on a baking sheet and prick the frozen tart dough about 10 times with a fork. Line the dough with a sheet of aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart shell on the baking sheet until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and continue to bake until the tart shell is deep golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Let cool completely.

　　

Step 5

To fill the tart, spread the raspberry jam in an even layer in the bottom of the cooled tart shell. Trim the hard stem ends from the figs and quarter them lengthwise. Arrange the figs in the tart shell in 2 concentric circles, cut sides up, fitting them snugly against the sides of the tart shell and each other. Arrange the raspberries snugly in the center. Drizzle the warm honey over the tart.

　　

Step 6

Remove the tart pan sides by setting the tart on an overturned bowl or other tall, wide surface (a large can of tomatoes works well). Gently press down on the outer ring and let the ring fall to the countertop. Set the tart on a flat surface. Release the tart from the pan bottom by sliding the blade of a knife between the crust and the pan bottom, then slip the tart onto a serving plate. (If it doesn’t release cleanly, simply serve the tart on the pan bottom.)

　　

Serving

Step 7

Serve the tart in wedges, just as it is, or with Frozen Nougat (page 177) or Champagne Sabayon (page 238).

　　

Storage

Step 8

This tart is best the day it is assembled.

　　

tip

Step 9

Buy only fresh figs that are positively ripe, as they don’t ripen once they’re picked. The best-tasting, ripest figs will be splitting at the seams with a bit of sap-like nectar exuding from the blossom end.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.