pantone801

Fig and Plum Tart

// February 27th, 2010 // Food

This is a favourite recipe from a recipe book by the owners of an Auckland Café called Zarbo that Mum bought for Mark a few years ago (when Mark and I got married we had a carrot cake from Zarbo as one of the wedding cakes). This is so easy to make, and only takes minutes. The figs sweeten up when cooked and the plum is a tangy contrast. The simple custard filling should not be too sweet. I use a flan tray that has a removable base making it easy to get the tart out, and ceramic pastry beads are great for blind-baking the shell, but beans or rice on a layer of foil will work as well.

Ingredients:
Shortcrust Pastry – enough to cover your flan tray
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (I use Queen Vanilla paste)
1 1/4 cups cream
3 eggs
4 figs, halved
4 plums, halved and stone removed

Set oven to 170°C/340°F. Grease a 23cm loose-bottom flan tin.
Line the base and sides of the tin with pastry, leaving pastry hanging over the edges. Cover with foil and add ceramic beads and bake for 8 minutes. Trim the edges, remove the beads, brush with egg yolk and bake until lightly-golden.

Place flour, sugar and vanilla in a bowl, add the cream slowly whilst whisking to prevent lumps. Beat in the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.

Arrange the fruit on the pastry shell and pour over the batter. Bake until golden, approximately 20 minutes.

Serve warm with clotted or thickened cream.