Rustic Fig Tart – Gluten + Dairy Free

I came across the most amazing fresh figs at Union Coop this morning and knew exactly what to do with them; a rustic fig tart. I based this on what my mother use to make for us when we were children. A classic Wähe as we call it in Switzerland. More often than not my mother used apples, plums or the ever so lovely apricots and, when they could be picked from the garden, rhubarb. I love all Wähe variants equally but could not resist making something with figs. If you do not have figs available then any of the previously mentioned fruits can be used.

The rustic fig tart contains three equally important elements: the crust, the filling and the figs.The crust is made from a simple sweet Mürbeteig, which is apparently shortcrust pastry in English, but with dairy free tweaks. Here is the original recipe in case you would like to reference it. The filling is usually made based on feel but now I have recorded it for posterity and, last but not least, the fresh ripe fruit. So let us hop to this quick and easy recipe.

 

Fruit:

6-7 fresh and ripe figs

Clean and destem the figs. Then quarter them length wise. Set aside for use later.

 

Crust:

150 g gluten free flour

1 pinch salt

60 g white sugar

100 g margarine, cooled

1 small egg

1 tbsp ground hazelnuts, keep aside for when the dough has been rolled out

In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, salt and white sugar. Add in the margarine and as quickly as possible use your hands to rub every thing together (not including the egg) to an evenly distributed crumble mixture. Add the egg and quickly mix everything together to form a smooth mass. Do not knead. Press flat, cover the bowl and set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

 

Filling:

3 eggs

1 cup oat milk

1 packet (10g) vanilla sugar

Whip together the eggs and the sugar until a light mass forms then add in the milk

Once the dough has cooled for 30 minutes roll it out to 3-5mm thick. I used a circular spring form of 29cm diameter. To make this easier I recommend to cut a wax paper to fit the form in a square shape as this will help guide you when you are rolling the dough and will help you when moving the dough onto the form. Make sure to have an extra 1-2 cm for the edge.

Once the dough has been placed in the form sprinkle the hazelnuts evenly onto the surface.

Evenly distribute the cut figs in any pattern or style you wish. Then gently pour in the filling making sure that it does not spill over the edge of the crust. If you have any leftover filling you can use it to make a sweet omelette.

Bake in the middle of a 200c oven for 45 minutes. If you think that your figs might be getting too dark then reduce the heat to 180c.

Once done remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Serves 8. Or 4. Or 2. Depends on how generous you are.

Notes:

• if you want a bit of extra sweetness, especially in the case of rhubarb, you can sprinkle a bit of sugar on top which will also make it a bit more caramelised.
• make is savoury by omitting the sugar and adding salt, herbs and using broccoli and leeks instead of fruit and call it a quiche.