Fig and Frangipane Tart with Lemon Mascarpone

Gordon Ramsay

Ingredients

4–5 figs, depending on size
125 gr butter, softened
125 gr icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
2 whole eggs, beaten
125 gr ground almonds
25 gr flour
250 gr puff pastry
1 egg yolk, for glazing

For the lemon mascarpone
approximately 250g mascarpone
1 lemon, zest only
Icing sugar


Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
  2. Add icing sugar to taste in the mascarpone, grate in the zest of a lemon and mix thoroughly then place in the fridge until ready to use – the consistency will need to be stiff enough to form clean quenelles.
  3. To make the frangipane, cream the butter, sugar, flour and almonds together. Slowly add the eggs mixing until fully incorporated. Rest the frangipane for 5 minutes in the fridge.
  4. Roll out the puff pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface to a 2mm thickness. Using a 13cm plate or saucer as a guide, cut out 4 rounds and place on two large baking sheets. Leave a 1.5cm lip around the edge of the pastry pricking the centre of each disk with a fork to stop it puffing up.
  5. Smooth the frangipane over the centre of the pastry – leaving a 1.5cm border. Egg yolk around the outside and dust with icing sugar. Bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes.
  6. Slice the figs in to 5 even pieces (or more if they are large). Remove the tarts from the oven and arrange the figs on top. Dust with a little more icing sugar and bake again until the pastry is crisp and golden – approximately 8 minutes.
  7. Remove the mascarpone mix from the fridge. Heat a dessertspoon in hot water then form a quenelle of lemon mascarpone and place in the centre of each finished tart.