Fig and date tart with cumin-chocolate syrup recipe

Fig and date tart with cumin-chocolate syrup recipe

This tart uses my favourite type of pastry, made with cream cheese. It is wonderfully light, flaky and buttery, and melts in the mouth. 

Furthermore, cream-cheese pastry is infinitely versatile and the quickest pastry you can make – I promise. There is no baking blind or tart tin required, so there is no excuse not to make all manner of beautiful tarts.

Ingredients

For the cream cheese pastry
  • 250 g butter, at room temperature
  • 300 g full-fat cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 300 g plain flour
  • 1 egg yolk, for glazing
  • 8.8 oz butter, at room temperature
  • 10.6 oz full-fat cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 10.6 oz plain flour
  • 1 egg yolk, for glazing
  • 8.8 oz butter, at room temperature
  • 10.6 oz full-fat cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 10.6 oz plain flour
  • 1 egg yolk, for glazing
For the filling
  • 6 to 8 firm fresh figs
  • 12 to 18 Medjool dates, stones removed
  • 1 cup Demerara sugar, to sprinkle
  • 6 to 8 firm fresh figs
  • 12 to 18 Medjool dates, stones removed
  • 1 cup Demerara sugar, to sprinkle
  • 6 to 8 firm fresh figs
  • 12 to 18 Medjool dates, stones removed
  • 1 cup Demerara sugar, to sprinkle
For the syrup
  • 100 g golden caster sugar
  • 15 g cumin seeds
  • 200 g 70% dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 3.5 oz golden caster sugar
  • 0.5 oz cumin seeds
  • 7.1 oz 70% dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 3.5 oz golden caster sugar
  • 0.5 oz cumin seeds
  • 7.1 oz 70% dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Details

  • Cuisine: English
  • Recipe Type: Dessert
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Preparation Time: 15 mins
  • Cooking Time: 30 mins
  • Serves: 4

Step-by-step

  1. With a wooden spoon, mix together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth and fully incorporated. Gradually mix in the flour until a paste is formed; use a food mixer if this becomes heavy work. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and refrigerate for 2 hours until set and quite firm.
  2. Put plenty of plain flour on your surface, then divide your dough into 4 larger pieces or 6 more modest-sized pieces and roll each to 5mm thick. Use a saucer or metal cutter to create your round shape.
  3. Brush each disc with egg, then roll one section of the perimeter in to form a rolled edge, then turn the disc a third of a turn and roll again, then repeat for the final side. This forms the sides of your three-point tart. Brush with the remaining egg yolk and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
  5. To make the filling, trim the figs and cut in half. Remove the stones from the dates. Place one fig half, cut side up, in each corner of a tart and a date between each fig half. Sprinkle liberally with demerara sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and crisp.
  6. For the chocolate syrup, bring 100ml water, the sugar and cumin seeds to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes until the cumin has infused the syrup fully. Strain the seeds out and blend with the chocolate in a bowl.
  7. Serve the tarts warm or at room temperature with the cumin-chocolate syrup drizzled over the top.

Recipe taken from Adventures with Chocolate by Paul A Young (Kyle Books, £14.99) Photography: Anders Schonnemann.

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Paul A Young's top chocolate tips

Italian fig and chocolate ice cream

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