Fig-almond tart w/whole spelt

Happy Thanksgiving!

Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
time: 15 min preparation + 1 hr inactive + 45 min baking + 10 min cooling

ingredients
for crust

• 1 1/2 cup (225 g) regular flour OR
• 3/4 cup (90 g) whole spelt flour and
• 3/4 cup (112 g) regular flour
• 10 Tablespoons (150 g) cold butter, diced
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• grated zest from 1 lemon
• 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) ice water

for filling

• 3 1/2 oz (100 g) almond (marzipan) paste, room temperature, diced
• 5 Tablespoons (75 ml) milk, room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) liquid honey
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 20 dried figs (250 g/9oz), reconstituted*
• 4 Tablespoons apricot jam, melted

instructions

1. Prepare crust. In a food processor with steel blades, blend flours with zest, sugar and salt. Add butter, pulse till coarse meal texture, about 10 seconds. Add water, puls more, till mass forms (and not any longer). Transfer the dough onto a rolling board. Give a couple of thrusts with the base of your palm. Form a disc, wrap it in a plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. *Prepare figs. Simmer whole figs in water for 5 minutes. Let the mix get cooled completely. Strain and slice the fruit.
3. Prepare filling. In the same food processor (cleaned, sorry), blend together almond paste, milk, sugar, honey and vanilla till smooth.
4. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Prepare a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Move that piece of paper onto the rolling board. Place your chilled dough on top and roll till thin, almost round and as big as the width of the paper. Use a little flour if your rolling pin sticks to the dough. Place the paper with the dough on a baking sheet. Spread the filling on top, leaving a 2-inch (5-cm) border around. Arrange figs on the filling. Brush with apricot jam. Fold the border over, pinching it for better fit. The tart should be now about 10-inches (28 cm) in diameter. Place in the hot oven for about 45 minutes and bake till crust is lightly browned. Take it out, transfer it onto a cooling rack 10 minutes and serve.

notes

• we are not in the USA anymore, but every year I make at least a pie for the big Thursday;
• I love pecans but they are considered exotic here, walnuts don't quite provide the substitute, I didn't have a pumpkin, figs - I had plenty!
• I was also very excited to use almond (marzipan) paste for the first time; never seen it in the stores here till this year;
• Giada used 1/3 cup of mascarpone in her recipe but I was determined not to leave the house to go shopping, so I used my almond milk; worked fine;
• I have to say that this is the best crust I ever made; it's tasty, flaky, delicate and melts in your mouth;
• the filling is chewy, moist, figgy and sweet;
• little bit of crust, little bit of filling and a lot of pleasure.