Fig and maple syrup tart

A perfect fig and maple syrup tart. I don’t think you could bake a better fig tart :). The combination of figs and maple syrup is pure heaven. A delicate mascarpone, cream and maple syrup filling, topped with plenty of fresh figs and served with an extra drizzle of maple syrup. This is one of those recipes you’ll come back to time and time again, I promise ;).

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry:

• 230 g plain flour
• 130 g cold butter, cubed
• 1 egg
• 40 g icing sugar
• a pinch of salt

Sift the flour, add the butter and quickly cut it in with a knife until the mixture resembles crumble. Add the egg, sugar and salt and quickly bring the dough together (you can also use a food processor). Shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 60 minutes.

Grease a 25 cm tart tin with butter and dust with plain flour, shaking off any excess.

Roll out the chilled dough to about 3 mm thick and use it to line the tin. Chill again in the fridge for 30 minutes. Dust the chilled pastry lightly with flour and cover with baking paper. Fill with ceramic baking beads to weigh the pastry down (you can also use dried beans or rice).

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Reduce the temperature to 200°C, place the pastry in the oven and pre-bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, take out the baking paper and weights, then return to the oven and bake for a further 5–7 minutes, until the base is lightly golden. Remove from the oven and fill the hot pastry case with the filling.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 250 g mascarpone, chilled
• 200 ml double cream, chilled
• 70 g maple syrup or golden syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons potato starch

Place the mascarpone, maple syrup and eggs in the bowl of a mixer. Mix until combined and the mascarpone is completely smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl from time to time. Finally, add the double cream and potato starch and mix briefly (the cream is added at the end so that it isn’t unnecessarily whipped and aerated). The filling will be very runny.

Pour the filling into the well pre-baked, hot pastry case. Bake at 180°C for about 15–20 minutes, until set. The top should be golden brown and the edges of the filling should start to puff up slightly. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Chill in the fridge overnight.

Additionally:

• 6–8 fresh figs
• maple syrup, for serving

Slice the figs and arrange them over the tart. Drizzle with maple syrup or golden syrup.

The fig and maple syrup tart should be stored in the fridge.

Enjoy!