California Fig Hazelnut Tart with Velvety Whipped Goat Cheese Cream

Directions

For the Hazelnut Shortcrust

1. Line a 24-cup muffin tin with 14 liners, skipping spaces to allow for airflow between the tarts.

2. Add all shortcrust ingredients, except the California Dried Figs Paste, to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until all ingredients are combined. The dough will be extremely soft.

3. Use a #24 food scoop to scoop the dough into each of the lined muffin cavities, 43 grams of crust dough per tart.

4. Press down the dough so it covers the bottom and sides of the cavity. (I use a sheet of food wrap and a small wooden press to press the crust down into the edges of the pan and up the sides.)

5. Place muffin tin in the freezer and freeze until the shortcrust shells are firm, about an hour.

6. Preheat the convection oven to 425°F (218°C) and bake until light golden brown,13 to 20 minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven, press each shortcrust again, either using a muffin tin press or the back of your #24 food scoop to ensure the crust is compact and creates a nice cavity for the filling.

7. Place 7 grams (about 1 teaspoon) of California Dried Figs Paste into the cavity of each tart shell.

For the California Fig Hazelnut Frangipani

1. Put the hazelnut meal, powdered sugar, tapioca starch, cardamom, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are combined and the hazelnut meal is ground fine.

2. Add the eggs, butter, and vanilla extract, and pulse until smooth.

3. Place 20 grams of Frangipani (2 generous tablespoons) into each baked tart shortcrust over each mound of Fig Paste.

4. Press a half of a California Dried Mission Fig into the filling of each tart, seed side up, ensuring it’s mostly submerged in the frangipani.

5. Reduce the convection oven temperature to 350°F (190°C) and bake until set, and lightly golden brown and the Frangipani layer is baked through, 17 to 19 minutes.

6. Remove the tarts from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature. (Refrigerate overnight if serving the next day.)

For the Goat Cheese Whipped Cream

1. Crumble the goat cheese into a mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment.

2. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed just until blended.

3. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and turn the mixer speed up to high. Beat until medium peaks form and the mixture is very thick and creamy.

Tart Assembly

1. Remove cooled tarts from the muffin pan.

2. Top each with a scoop of Goat Cheese Whipped Cream. This can be dolloped or piped (if you have piping bags and a large closed star #847 piping tip).

3. Drizzle each tart with California Dried Figs Juice Concentrate.

Developer Notes

1. I like using Laura’s Chevre for this recipe.

2. It’s important to take note of the ingredients in this recipe and to avoid making substitutions. Use sweet white rice flour, not white rice flour or superfine rice flour.