INGREDIENTS

Serves 8-10

6 ripe figs
2 eggs
200g caster sugar
300g unsalted butter
grated zest & juice of 1 lemon
200g pistachios
100g ground almonds
1 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

for the pastry
115g unsalted butter at room temperature
100g caster sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg
225g plain flour

Set the oven at 180°C

First make the pastry by combining butter, sugar & salt in a blender. Add egg until smooth. Then add flour and mix briefly until combined. Shape the dough into a flat thick disc, wrap in greaseproof paper and rest in fridge for at least an hour.

Whizz pistachios in a blender of coffee grinder until coarse powder.

Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale yellow in colour. Add lemon zest, juice, ground pistachio, almond and flour. Combine well. Add eggs one at a time and mix.

Grease 25cm tart tin. Roll pastry on a floured surface, moving the disc 45 after every roll to get a circle of even thickness. Loosely roll pastry onto a rolling pin then until onto tart tin. Cut around the outside of tine and pinch the edges. Place piece of greaseproof paper over the pastry and fill with baking beans. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove beans and paper. Return to oven for another 5 minutes. Take out pastry case again, brush with beaten egg and return for another 2 minutes or until golden brown in colour.

Fill the pastry case with butter and nut mixture. Place figs around the tart, sliced side facing up. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

Approximate cost £12.00 (much cheaper if you can find a fig tree; but still only £1.20 per delicious slice!).