Fresh Fig and Mascarpone Tartlets

Food

 

Preparation time : 35 minutes (plus refrigeration time).

Cooking time : 40 minutes.

Serves :: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (150 gm) plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon custard powder
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 100g butter, chopped coarsely
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
  • 2 teaspoons water, approximately
  • 2 large fresh figs (160 gm)
  • Toffee –
  • 1 – 1/4 cups (275g) caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup (125m!) water
  • 1/4 cup (40 gm) blanched almonds, toasted
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) strained orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons water, extra
  • Mascarpone Cream
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream
  • 200g mascarpone cheese

Preparation

  1. Grease four deep 10cm-round loose-based flan tins. Place flour, custard powder and sugar into medium bowl; rub in butter. Stir in yolk, rind and enough of the water to mix to a soft dough. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth; refrigerate, covered, 1 hour.
  2. Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line prepared tins; lift pastry into tins. Press into sides; trim edges. Place tins on oven tray; prick bases with fork. Cover pastry with baking paper; fill with dried beans or rice. Bake, uncovered, in moderate oven 10 minutes. Remove paper and beans. Bake, uncovered, further 10 minutes or until browned lightly; cool. (Can be made days ahead and stored in airtight container.)
  3. Halve figs; cut each half into three wedges, ready for dipping in toffee.
  4. Place pastry cases on serving plates; fill with mascarpone cream. Top each with toffee-coated fig wedges and toffee strands; pour warm orange syrup around tartlets.

 

Toffee – Cover three oven trays with foil. Combine sugar and the water in small saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Simmer, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture turns golden brown; remove from heat. Dip fig wedges into toffee; place on one oven tray to set. Place nuts on another oven tray; pour over half of the remaining toffee. Stand until set; break almond toffee into pieces, then blend or process until crushed finely. Gently reheat remaining toffee; working quickly, dip fork into pan and drizzle long thin strands of toffee onto remaining oven tray. Add juice and the extra water to any toffee remaining in pan; simmer about 5 minutes or until mixture is syrupy.

Mascarpone cream – Whip cream in small bowl until firm peaks form; fold in mascarpone, in two batches, then finely crushed almond toffee.

Per serving – 68.2g fat; 3431kJ