Danielle Alvarez’s aromatic fig and hazelnut tart recipe will fill your kitchen with scent
The combination of figs with hazelnuts in a crisp, sweet tart shell is pure bliss – the smells coming out of your kitchen will leave you intoxicated (in the best way).
In this recipe, we really amp up the hazelnut flavour by first making a hazelnut praline, which is then used to make a traditional frangipane.
The combination of figs with hazelnuts in a crisp, sweet tart shell is pure bliss – the smells coming out of your kitchen will leave you intoxicated (in the best way).
If you like this, try:
Danielle Alvarez’s roast pork with caramelised apples
Throw everything in one bowl for this delicious coconut tart
Elizabeth Hewson’s lemon and lime biscuit tart
The frangipane can be made a day or two in advance and kept in the fridge, but it will need to come out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before using, so that you can easily spread it into the tart shell. The baked tart is best eaten on the day it’s made.
For a smaller tart, simply use a 23cm fluted tart tin with a removable base, halve the frangipane recipe and the number of figs, and reduce the baking time to 40-50 minutes.
Fig and hazelnut frangipane tart
Ingredients
- 11-12 ripe figs, halved
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- Quantity of sweet shortcrust pastry
For the hazelnut frangipane
- 140g hazelnuts
- 80g soft brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 130g unsalted butter
- 80g white sugar
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 80g plain flour
- Crème fraiche, to serve
Method
- This recipe uses a 30cm fluted tart tin with a removable base. Prepare your pastry shell as per packet instructions, blind baking if necessary, and allow it to cool.
- Start on the hazelnut frangipane by preheating your oven to 150C (fan forced). Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and toast them for 30 minutes. When slightly cool, remove the skins if they are still on. Line an oven tray with baking paper and set it aside.
- In a small stainless-steel saucepan, heat the brown sugar and water over a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally using a heatproof spoon or spatula, until it’s smoking and has turned a deep shade of amber. Add in the hazelnuts and stir to coat. If your caramel turns grainy after adding the hazelnuts, simply continue to cook it until the sugar melts again and forms a glossy sheen on the nuts.
- Carefully tip the praline onto your tray, spread it out, and allow to cool completely.
- Once cool, break the hazelnut praline into pieces and process them in a food processor until a thick paste forms. Combine the praline paste in a bowl with the room-temperature butter, white sugar, salt, eggs and vanilla. Add in the flour last and stir to just combine. Set aside.
Increase your oven temperature to 160C (fan forced).
- Spread the frangipane over the base of the tart shell, smoothing it out with a spatula. Nestle the figs into the frangipane, cut-side up. Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar over the figs and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden and the figs are jammy.
- Allow the tart to cool, then serve with crème fraîche.
Makes one 30cm tart of 12-16 slices
This is an edited extract from Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking by Danielle Alvarez with Libby Travers. (Murdoch Books, $49.99).
Photography by Alan Benson.