Notebook on French Fig and Cherry Torte

Little hands and I celebrated the bounty from our garden fig tree last week by making a French Fig and Cherry Torte. Totally good. Not too sweet. Totally fattening. But, who cares?

Ingredients:
Pastry:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 14 tablespoons cold butter
• 6 tablespoons cold water

Fruit Filling:

• 8 ounce of dried and fresh figs
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons port
• 8 ounces of cherries (pitted and chopped)
  

Preparation:

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Sprinkle the cold water onto the mixture and toss gently a few times, just until it forms a ball that holds together.

Separate the dough into two balls, flatten slightly into thick disk shapes, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for several hours before working with it.

Roll and trim the dough to make 2 circles large enough to fit a 10-inch round or fluted cake pan. Fit 1 circle into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Chop the dried and fresh figs into tiny pieces and add the cherries (chopped into small pieces).

Preheat an oven to 375F.

Melt the butter in the pan over medium-high heat and stir in the figs and 4 tablespoon sugar. Cook the figs, stirring frequently, until they begin to caramelize. Add the port and blackberry jam to the mixture. Cook the fruit, stirring frequently, for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. The fig filling is ready when it has thickened, but not dried out.

Spread the fig filling into the prepared pastry and top it with the second pastry circle. Press the edges together to seal the tart and bake it for 40 minutes, until it turns golden brown and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Allow the tart to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently loosen the sides of the tart and invert in onto a plate. Place a serving plate on the bottom of the upside-down tart and invert it onto the plate. Serve warm or store at room temperature, covered tightly, for up to 3 days.

This fig tart recipe makes 8 to 10 servings.

Recipe improvised from here.