FRESH FIG AND RASPBERRY TART IN HAZELNUT PASTRY

makes one 9” tart

Hazelnut Pastry         makes enough for a 9” lattice topped tart*

2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
10 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup skinned, lightly toasted hazelnuts
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cardamom
⅛ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten with a fork

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, pulse together the hazelnuts, sugar, spices and zests. Be careful not to over-process the hazelnuts. The mixture should be fine but not pasty. Place the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed then add the hazelnut/sugar/spice mixture. Combine well, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl then add the vanilla extract and the egg, mixing to incorporate. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients, one third at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. The dough will be soft, similar to cookie dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and divide it in half. Shape each half of dough into a disc, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least several hours, or preferably overnight. (It is easier to work with the dough when it is cold; remove one disc from the refrigerator at a time.) On a lightly floured sheet of parchment, roll out one disc of dough into an 11” circle. Carefully transfer the dough into a buttered and floured 9” round x 1 ½” deep fluted tart pan, pressing the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Flour your fingers and patch any areas that are thin or have a tear. Trim the dough even with the edge of the pan and refrigerate it. Remove the second disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment into a 10” circle. Use a pastry wheel or small sharp knife to cut ½” wide lattice strips. Place the sheet of parchment with the lattice strips onto a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Fresh Fig and Raspberry filling (tweaking a tart from Leslie Mackie and a pie from Michael James)

12 oz. fresh figs, rinsed, stems removed, halved and cut into quarters (yields between 2½ and 2¾ cups)
12 oz. fresh raspberries, lightly rinsed then dried on a paper towel (yields between 2½ and 2¾ cups)
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon orange zest
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
2 teaspoons fig butter (available at Trader Joes) or 2 teaspoons raspberry jam

egg wash made from 1 egg yolk whisked together with 2 tablespoons heavy cream

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, flour and zests. Add the quartered figs to the sugar/flour mixture and toss to coat evenly. Place the sugared figs in a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a rubber spatula to prevent sticking. Cook just until the juices from the figs thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the fig butter or raspberry jam and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Let this cool to room temperature. When cool, add the raspberries, stirring gently to combine. Add 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and taste for sweetness/tartness before adding an additional teaspoon. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To assemble the tart, place the chilled tart shell on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour the cooled filling into the shell. Remove the chilled lattice strips from the refrigerator and working quickly (the dough tends to soften) use an offset spatula dipped in flour to lay the lattice over the fruit. It doesn’t have to be perfect; if the strips are getting too soft, place them back in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Trim the lattice evenly with the edge of the pan. Carefully brush the lattice strips with the egg wash. Place the tart back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking. Bake the tart on the bottom rack of the oven for 20 minutes then move the tart to the middle rack and continue baking for an additional 35-45 minutes. The fruit should bubble around the edges and in the middle of the tart. Place the tart on a cooling rack and let cool completely before removing the outer tart ring. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

(* any scraps of hazelnut pastry dough can be rolled on parchment and cut out with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 degrees just until golden; baking time will depend on the size cutter you use.)