Sometimes there is joy in cracking something the first time. Other times there is joy in cracking something after many tried and failed attempts – often these wins feel sweeter.
This recipe was not an instant success and saw dozens of alterations before getting to a dessert which I’m quite proud of. What started as an indecisive craving for three of my favourite sweet treats – frangipane tart, baklava and sticky roasted figs, became this – a mighty amalgamation of flavour, texture and good looks.
Vital stats: Buttery hazelnut pastry / layer of baklava filling / layer of almond and pistachio frangipane / roasted fig
This is a recipe for a chilled Sunday when the only decisions you have to make are what album/ podcast you’re going to put on to accompany your day full day of baking.
Equipment and preparation: 6 x 10 cm (4 inch) loose-bottomed fluted tart tins, a 5inch round cutter.
Fig, Frangipane and Baklava Tarts
Course: DessertDifficulty: Medium/ Tricky4
servings30
minutes40
minutesA mighty amalgamation of flavour, texture and good looks. This recipe requires time and patience but the end product is special.
Ingredients
- Hazelnut Pastry
280 g plain flour
100 g hazelnuts
200 g cold butter, grated
- Baklava Filling
300 g mixed nuts such as walnuts, pistachios & hazelnuts
80 ml water
85 ml honey
1/2 tsp cardamom
- Frangipane
100 g butter, at room temperature
100 g caster sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp pistachio paste
100 g ground almonds
1 tsp almond essence
Directions
- For the pastry, place the hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Take care not to grind for too long or you will release oils and begin to make a paste. Add the flour and butter then pulse again until you get a crumbly, fine mixture. Add the sugar and pulse briefly to combine. Add the egg yolk and 2-3 tbsp of cold water, then pulse to a firm dough.
- Wrap the dough in clingfilm then chill for at least 15 minutes in the fridge.
- Lightly butter 6x10cm (4 inch) loose-bottomed fluted tart tins. Roll out the pastry thinly on a surface lightly dusted with flour then cut 5×5 inch rounds using a round cutter. If you don’t have a cutter then arrange 5 tart tins on top of the pastry, cut out the pastry a little above the top of the tins. Reroll the trimmings and the final tart case. Prick the bases with a fork and chill for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line the tart cases with pieces of nonstick baking paper and fill with baking beans or dried pasta shapes.
- Bake for 10 minutes, carefully remove the paper and baking beans, then cook the empty tarts for 5-6 minutes until just beginning to brown around the edges. Turn the oven down to 180°C.
- Baklava Filling
- In a food processor, pulse together the nuts until coarsely chopped then transfer to a medium bowl.
- Stir together the chopped nuts, melted butter honey, ground cardamom and salt until evenly combined.
- Divide the nut mixture evenly between the tart cases and bake for 5 minutes. Don’t over-bake as the will be going back into the oven at a later stage. Remove from oven and move onto making the frangipane.
- Frangipane
- To make the filling, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and pistachio paste stir in the ground almonds.
- Divide between the precooked cases, spread evenly over the nut mixture then bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes until golden.
