After a long, cold winter the fig trees that are usually drooping under the weight of sweet fruit have so far yielded nothing close to edible, so I’m making do with figs from our local market. I can definitely tell you that as soon as they ripen, I will be making this delicious little tart again. I used sorghum flour in the crust, its absorbent properties serve a pie crust very well and it lends a slightly sweet flavor to the dough. Figs are quartered, layed on creamy whipped mascarpone, drizzled in lemon-honey syrup and baked until golden. I served it with a generous scoop of homemade cinnamon ice cream.
I just love the richness of custard-based ice creams. I referenced David Lebovitz’s recipe for cinnamon ice cream which calls for both cinnamon sticks steeped in cream and milk and ground cinnamon stirred in at the end. I found it offered the strongest cinnamon flavor, it was so delicious on a slice of warm fig galette. You could substitue nearly any summer fruit you have on hand, it would be particularly good with peaches or nectarines (hooray, stone fruit season!).
Sources // ceramics // pie server // serving board
- ¼ cup (35 grams) sorghum flour
- 1 cup (120 grams) gluten-free flour blend, such as Bob's Red Mill
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 whole egg
- 2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice, I used apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons ice cold water
- 4 oz whipped marscapone cheese (recipe below)
- 2 pints fresh figs, quartered lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons honey
- juice and zest of ½ a lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or ½ a vanilla bean, scraped
- Whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, and salt. With your fingers (my prefered method), a pastry blender or two knives, work the butter into the flour until it is the texture of cornmeal with a few pea-sized pieces left.
- Whisk the egg and lemon juice or vinegar together until foamy, then add to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together, adding a tablespoon or two of cold water as needed. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for one hour or up to overnight.
- Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before rolling.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the dough rests and the oven preheats, prepare the filling. Making whipped mascarpone is just as easy as it sounds, simply whip the mascarpone (and a tablespoon or two of sugar, if the fruit you choose is especially tart. I loved it plain with the figs.) until it is smooth and spreadable.
- In a small bowl, mix the honey, lemon juice, zest and vanilla bean paste together and set aside. Roll out the dough into a rough circle (about 12 inches round) between sheets of plastic wrap, then gently peel back the top layer of plastic wrap and invert onto a lined baking sheet, removing the other sheet of plastic wrap. Spread with whipped marscapone, leaving a 1 inch border, and arrange the figs on top of the marscapone. Drizzle with the honey mixture, then fold the sides of the crust over and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature with a generous scoop of cinnamon ice cream.
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 2¼ cups (425 grams) sugar
- 4 whole eggs
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- Combine the heavy whipping cream and whole milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the sacuepan over medium heat and scald (bring it nearly to a boil, until the milk is steaming and bubbles are starting to form). Remove it from heat, add the cinnamon sticks, cover, and steep for 1 hour.
- Whisk the sugar and eggs until lighter in color in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Remove the cinnamon sticks and scald the cream and milk again. Remove it from the heat and temper the eggs by pouring about a cup of the cream into the eggs, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture to the saucepan, and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the salt, ground cinnamon and vanilla bean paste.
- Pour through a strainer into a heat-proof container and chill. Process according to your manufacturer's instructions and freeze until ready to serve.
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