This fresh fig raspberry tart boasts a lovely French accent. There are only very few weeks each year when you can make it given that fresh figs are one of those rare things that are truly ephemeral, being available only late spring and late summer. Carpe diem.–David Leite
Fresh Fig and Raspberry Tart with Honey
Ingredients
For the tart dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) chunks and chilled, plus more for the dish
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
For the tart filling
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam, (with seeds or seedless)
- 12 ripe figs (any variety)
- 1 1/4 cups fresh raspberries
- 3 tablespoons honey, warmed
Instructions
Make the tart dough
- In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, grind the flour, almonds, sugar, and salt until the almonds are very fine and powdery. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces about the size of grains of rice. (Be careful not to over-process the mixture or the resulting crust will become dense and tough.)
- Add the egg yolks and the almond extract to the processor, then let the machine run just until the dough starts to come together. (Again, be careful not to over-process the dough.) Transfer the dough to a work surface, knead it briefly with your hands until smooth, then press the dough into a disk.
- Very lightly butter a 9-inch (23 centimeter) tart pan with a removable bottom. Transfer the disk of dough to the pan. Using your hands, lightly press the dough as evenly as possible into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Freeze the dough-lined tart pan for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Set the tart pan on a baking sheet and prick the frozen tart dough about 10 times with a fork. Line the dough with a sheet of aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart shell on the baking sheet until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and continue to bake until the tart shell is deep golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Let cool completely.
Make the tart filling
- Spread the raspberry jam over the cooled tart shell in an even layer.
- Trim the hard stem ends from the figs and quarter each fig lengthwise. Arrange the figs in the tart shell in 2 concentric circles, cut sides up, fitting the figs snugly against the sides of the tart shell and each other. Arrange the raspberries snugly in the center of the tart. Drizzle the warm honey over the tart.
- Remove the tart pan sides from the tart pan bottom by setting the tart on an overturned bowl or other tall, wide surface (a large can of tomatoes works well). Gently press down on the outer ring and let it fall to the countertop. Set the tart on a flat surface. Release the tart from the pan bottom by sliding the blade of a knife between the crust and the pan bottom, then slip the tart onto a serving plate. (If it doesn’t release cleanly, simply serve the tart on the pan bottom.)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
“Wow,” was all my guests could say.
The combination of fig, raspberries, honey, and almond all made for a very delightful summer dessert. The tart dough is very simple and comes together quite easily in the food processor. It’s a perfect base for the figs and raspberries.
I did, however, use more than 1/4 cup of raspberry jam. It was more like 1/2 cup, and even this was a very thin layer of jam.
Beautiful showstopper of a dessert for the height of summer. Fresh figs and raspberries are a perfect pairing.
The pastry shell doesn’t take much time and could easily be done ahead, and once that’s prepared, you can fill with the fruit and serve 8 generously, 12 if you want to be more modest. Best the day of assembly and still delicious the next day (though the crust on the bottom will absorb the jam a bit more) and nicely served with a small dollop of ricotta because that always pairs well with fresh figs.
Mission figs were ideal for this, smaller and sweeter than other varieties, but I would absolutely make this again with green Kadotas.
If you’re making this on a hot day, as I did, a little help from parchment paper will make getting the dough evenly spread and released from your tart pan. I used a 9-inch round as well as butter, making sure the sides were lightly but thoroughly coated, and as I pressed the dough out and started to come up the sides, to even out the crust as flat as possible (because hand pressing can be uneven), with the top parchment still in place, I placed an 8-inch round of parchment paper on the top of the pastry and gently pressed a metal pie plate (one that sloped in and fit nicely inside) down to make it evenly thin over all the bottom and sides. I actually left that on to protect the crust while it was in the freezer.
Remember to remove the parchment before baking, but it’s fine to freeze (and give it an hour if your kitchen is warm). When you remove your pie weights and the foil, you may want to cover the crust with pie guards or foil for the last 10 to 11 minutes so the crust is even. I also added an additional fork prick at that point where there was a slight bubble (but don’t worry— jam will cover that!).
It released beautifully from the pan, and confirmed my habit of using parchment on the bottom, so you never have to try and cut your tart in the pan (bad for the pan and the tart!)
I searched long and hard for actual “jam” on the grocers shelf (as opposed to preserves, fruit spreads, and other definitions), and reluctant to use Smuckers, had purchased Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserve, but luckily I found I had a jar of Happy Girl Kitchen jam at home already (they are a well known artisanal jam and pickle maker and actually the only real cannery operating near Cannery Row).
After completely cooling the tart, I proceeded with jam and fruit and let it sit 2 hours before removing and serving. It just slid right up and off the sides of the pan perfectly!! The bottom slid off the tart bottom without any effort (though I was prepared with a cake spatula) and slid it onto my cutting board.
Last crust detail: This is a crust worth eating!!!
This is special enough to bring to a party.
Select a Tester
I brought this to a friends house for an afternoon tea and everyone loved it. The recipe overall was delicious.
In order for the tart to look EXACTLY like the picture, I needed to increase the amount of figs from 12 to 16. This will ensure a fuller looking tart as seen in the picture. Based on the timing provided, my crust was overdone in the middle. I’m not sure if my oven runs hot, but next time, I would reduce the temp to 350°F.
I made this delicious tart today after I purchased some gorgeous figs. Pairing them with the raspberries intrigued me so I decided to make it. Boy was it delicious! Super easy to make and so delicious tasting! And the crust was so yummy! It made a really beautiful tart but I love it when a recipe tastes as good as it looks!
So nice to hear, Diane! We soooo appreciate you taking the time to let us know you love this as much as we do. Thank you!