Puddings & Desserts
Puddings & Desserts
Fig and frangipane tart
The perfect way to make the most of juicy ripe figs
It took ages for my fig tree to get going - but wow, has it loved the hot summer sun this year (2026)! It has been absolutely loaded with fruit and (although I’ve had to be sure to pick it before the blackbirds get to it), it’s certainly been a bumper harvest. This is one of the best recipes I’ve used the figs in so far - it’s ideal as a dessert, but also with a cup of tea mid-afternoon
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
- Pastry:
- 180g plain flour
- 100g salted butter (cold from the fridge)
- 1 egg yolk
- Filling:
- 100g butter (at room temperature)
- 100g caster sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten (plus the egg white leftover from the pastry)
- half tsp almond extract
- 100g ground almonds
- About 10 ripe figs, halved
- half tbsp flaked almonds
- icing sugar, to dust
Method
To make the pastry, whizz the flour and butter together in a food processor until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Pulse in the egg yolk, with a good pinch of salt, then gradually add cold water (about 4 tbsp) and keep pulsing until the mixture comes together. Remove to a floured board, shape into a ball and then flatten out slightly until you have a fat disc. Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for half an hour.
Meanwhile, make the frangipane by beating the butter and sugar together until creamy (I use an electric whisk for this, but the butter does need to be very soft). Gradually stir in the eggs and almond extract, followed by the ground almonds.
Roll out the pastry to fit a 20cm loose-bottomed flan tin and bake at 180C (fan oven) for 10-15 mins, until very lightly golden all over. Turn the oven down to 170C. Spoon in the frangipane and top with the figs. Scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 35-40 mins until the filling is set and the figs are starting to look deliciously jammy.
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.
A Cook's Plot Tip
Traditionally, before adding the filling a pastry case like this would be 'baked blind' (covered with greaseproof paper and baking beans). But over the years I have found that I get much better results just by baking the case uncovered, as here.