Fig Jam Tart from Under the Tuscan Gun

Bamboo friend Debi Mazar shared an awesome recipe with us! Check out her blog Under the Tuscan Gun at www.underthetuscangun.com

FIG JAM TART

Serves: 8 min / Prep Time: 20 min / Cook Time: 35 min

2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour

½ Cup Superfine Sugar

Pinch of Salt

Zest of 1 Lemon

Seeds of 1 Vanilla Bean

½ Lb (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, cut into ½ inch pieces and chilled

3 Large Organic Egg Yolks

¼ Cup + 3 Tbsp of Grappa or Rum

1 ½ Cup of Fig Jam

1.  In a mixer, stir together for about 30 seconds: Flour, Sugar, Salt and Zest.

2.  With a sharp knife, open the Vanilla Bean cutting it lengthwise, and with a small spoon remove the seeds and add them to the other ingredients in the mixer.

3.  Add the Butter, cold and cut into pieces, work at medium speed for about 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

4.  In a small bowl, beat together the Egg Yolks and the Grappa (or Rum): add it to the mixture, as the machine keeps on running on medium speed. The Dough will suddenly appear (it only takes a few seconds); as soon as it starts leaving the sides of the bowl turn off the machine, and by hand, on a flat surface, work in shape of a disk and refrigerate for about an hour.

5.  Preheat the oven to 425 Fº. Butter an 11-inch tart pan very well.

6.  In a small bowl, combine the jam and 3 Tbsp of liquor; it will help dilute the jam and add a nice back flavor to it.

7.  On a floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thick, and gently lay it into the tart pan. Press the dough lightly into the round edges, then, using your fingers, press on the edges of the pan, cutting off the excess.

8.  With a fork, poke the dough several times, all the way through to the pan; when in the oven the tart will “try to rise”, poking the tart helps it breath in the hot air.

9.  Using a spoon, lay the jam on top of the dough.

10. At this point get creative: you have about ¼ of the dough available to decorate your tart. When my kids are around we roll the extra dough a second time (wet your hands with cold water if you need to soften it), we cut some extra cookies. Some of them end up on the tart, others get the privilege of their own baking sheet. When I’m alone, I always try something different…mostly depending on the time I have available: I roll long strips of dough and design checkers, I design a flower (I tried the bike, but it’s way out of my league), and sometimes I like to see my tart showing off its jam glow…and I do not put anything on top of it. Sometimes I garnish with a very light dust of powdered sugar.