Serves 6-8
Figs are a welcome sight at the Christmas table and I find them more exciting than tangerines. Treat the figs like an avocado, and leave to ripen on the kitchen counter to get the best flavour out of them. Serve the tart with mascarpone laced with a splash of amaretto or sweet dessert wine for a sumptuous end to the meal.
500g puff pastry
1 free-range egg yolk, beaten
100g unsalted butter, softened
100g ground almonds
100g caster sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp amaretto
1 large free-range egg
6-8 ripe figs, trimmed and cut into
eight wedges each
Runny honey, to drizzle
1 Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Roll the pastry into a large rectangle, about 30 x 40cm. Using a sharp knife, score a 1-2cm border around each rectangle, making sure not to cut through the pastry. Transfer the pastry on to a baking tray and glaze the border with egg yolk. Chill for 15 minutes.
2 Combine the rest of the ingredients, except for the figs, in a bowl. Spread over the inner rectangle of the pastry and arrange the fig wedges in five or six diagonal rows, in a herringbone pattern if you like. Bake for 20 minutes until the filling is golden-brown and set. The pastry should be brown and crisp. Drizzle the honey over the warm figs to glaze. Serve warm or cold.