• Recipe by Novuselelo Mncube

    Fig frangipane tart with spicy chocolate-caramel sauce

    Serves: 8
    Cooking Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

    Ingredients

    • Pastry
    • 225g cake flour, sifted
    • 85g icing sugar
    • 100g salted butter, cut into cubes
    • 60ml (¼ cup) ice water
    • Chocolate-caramel sauce
    • 1 x 360g tin Nestlé Caramel Treat
    • 5ml (1 tsp) mixed spice
    • 20g dark chocolate, melted
    • Filling
    • 100g butter, softened
    • 120g castor sugar
    • 4 large eggs
    • 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
    • 300g ground almonds
    • 5 medium figs, halved

    Instructions

    1

    Grease a 35cm x 11cm oblong tart tray.

    2

    For the pastry, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Rub in the cubed butter using your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix until the dough just comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Shape into a ball, wrap with cling film and refrigerate to rest, 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

    3

    For the sauce, mix together all of the ingredients until smooth. Set aside until needed.

    4

    For the filling, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl using a hand blender until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth and blend in the vanilla until mixed through. Stir in the almonds and set aside until needed.

    5

    Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to about 0,2cm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Layer the dough into the prepared tin, covering both the bottom and sides of the tin. Cut off the overlaps. Prick the base with a fork and bake blind, 15 minutes.

    6

    Remove the pastry from the oven and arrange the halved figs on top of the pastry. Pour over the filling and bake in the oven until cooked, 35 minutes.

    7

    Serve the hot tart with the spicy chocolate-caramel sauce.