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7 Comments If you have a bounty of fresh figs at your hand, make sure to try this delicious fig custard tart with roasted marzipan. It is so good! If you cannot get your hands on roasted marzipan, regular is fine too!
Table of contents
Why I Love This Recipe
The creaminess of the custard with the fruity ripe figs and the crunch of the buttery biscuit base… It is just so delicious and perfect for anytime when fresh figs are in season. The marzipan adds just that bit extra to the tart.
Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Figs – while technically you can make this with dried figs, I would advise against it. I just don’t like the texture of dried figs and it would simply not be as tasty!
- Roasted Marzipan – The roasted marzipan is something I always get from my German friend and I am not sure that is to be found anywhere else. I certainly haven’t been able to. That said; I also made this fig tart with regular marzipan and it worked great too.
- Crust – I’m not listing out all the ingredients for the crust. You can find those below if you want to make it yourself. Of course it is also possible to use ready-made crust for this fig tart.
How To Make Fig Tart Recipe With Roasted Marzipan
Step 1: Make the crust
The first step for making the fig tart is to make the crust. The dough will need to chill for a bit before it is ready to use. Once you’ve made the dough and it has chilled for at least 30 minutes roll it out and make sure to blind bake the crust. Since the custard and figs need only a short 15 minutes in the oven the crust can be baked until golden brown.
Step 2: Sprinkle the roasted marzipan
The next step is to sprinkle the roasted marzipan on top of the baked crust. I usually slice it into tiny cubes and if it is too sticky you can briefly shake it through a bit of icing sugar so it’s easier to handle. I also made this delicious plum tart using the roasted marzipan too.
Of course you can easily make this fig custard tart with regular marzipan (or make your own marzipan!). It will be almost equally as delicious.
Step 3: Make the custard
Next step is to make the custard, which is not anything different from a regular custard. Just follow the steps in the recipe card for that. Spread the custard on top of the marzipan and smooth the top with a spatula. Now slice your figs in thin slices and add them to the top of the custard. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes and your fig tart with roasted marzipan is done!
Fresh Figs
I have a tiny fig tree in my (tiny) garden and am waiting for the moment when I can harvest the fresh figs from the tree. Despite it’s small size it is actually already producing quite a few figs but this year they didn’t get to be edible. Not sure why. Maybe a lack of sunshine. I do live in the Netherlands after all. But who knows; maybe next year. The fig tree is planted inside a container to prevent it becoming too large for the garden. Maybe that is part of the reason.
Any kind of fruit
The good new is that you can make this fig custard tart with any kind of fruit. So if the season for figs is not there or maybe even non-existing where you live, you could replace them for apple, pear or anything you fancy really.
Cooling Time Fig Tart With Custard
One thing you do have to keep in mind when making the fig custard tart is that you want to let it cool down for the appropriate time. When cooling down the custard will firm up and become easier to handle. If it is still too warm it will be slightly more runny. Still delicious but possible a bit messier to eat. You can probably see from the first photo that I was slightly too impatient to dig in!
FAQ Fig Tart With Custard
Fresh figs are ideal for this tart because of their juiciness and soft texture, but if they’re out of season, you can use rehydrated dried figs. Just soak them in warm water or a bit of orange juice until plump, though the final texture will be slightly different.
To prevent a soggy bottom, make sure to fully blind-bake the crust before adding the custard. You can also brush a thin layer of melted chocolate or egg white on the crust once it’s baked to create a moisture barrier.
Yes! You can bake the crust and prepare the custard a day in advance. Assemble the tart a few hours before serving and store it in the fridge. Add the roasted marzipan topping shortly before serving for the best texture.
If you don’t have marzipan, almond paste is a good substitute — just slightly less sweet and more coarse. Alternatively, you can skip it and sprinkle toasted almonds over the top for a nutty crunch.
Homemade custard gives the best flavor and texture, but if you’re short on time, high-quality store-bought custard can be used in a pinch. Just make sure it’s thick enough to hold the figs without running.
Did you try the recipe? I would love it if you let me know through a rating or review on the recipe card below. And if you never want to miss another new recipe, make sure to sign up for the newsletter here and I will keep you up to date!
Fig Tart With Custard And Roasted Marzipan
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 310 grams all purpose flour
- 56 grams sugar
- pinch salt
- 225 grams unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4" cubes
- 3 tbsp ice-cold water or just enough to hold the pastry together
For the custard:
- 3 egg yolks
- 300 ml milk
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- pinch of salt
- 50 grams sugar
Extra:
- 100 grams Roasted marzipan or regular marzipan
- 4-5 Figs (fresh) or any other fruit you like
- 20 grams walnuts chopped
Equipment
- 1 25 cm round tart tin 10 inch
Instructions
For the pastry:
- At least 30 minutes before rolling and baking (or up to 1 day in advance) prepare the pastry. In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a plastic blade, pulse together the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse rapidly, about 40-50 times, or until the butter is blended into the flour and is coarse and the size of small peas.
- Gradually add the water in a small trickle, with the processor running. Continue adding just as the pastry starts coming together in the shape of a loose, crumbly ball.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Form into a disc, about 1″ high, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.Once you're ready to start baking preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C)
- Roll out the dough and blind bake the tarts for about 15-20 minutes or until browned around the edges
For the custard:
- Mix the cornflour with a few tbsp of the milk and stir until smooth. Add all ingredients together and cook au bain marie (in a double broiler) until the custard become thick and glossy.
- Once you’ve blind baked your tarts, add bits of the roasted marzipan on the bottom. Try and keep it thin, but it is not so bad if you can’t.. 🙂 Pour the custard on top and smooth.
- Press your fruit into the custard and bake for another 15 minutes in the oven to finish
- If you can restrain yourself, it is best to wait until the tart is cooled before cutting and eating… 😉 Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the tart at the last minute
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
This is such a great fig tart and perfect for when you have an abundance of fresh figs!
What a great recipe; I just made 2 of these fig tarts and they set beautifully! They were delicious and my family already wants me to make more!
I couldn’t find what temperature to bake the tarts at, so I just tried 350F and it worked great.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Thanks Erica! Glad you liked it. I’ll have a look at the temperature but 350 is exactly right! 😉
Roasted marzipan, what a cool ingredient! I can imagine it tastes lovely 🙂 Such a gorgeous tart! Comfort food indeed 😀
What a gorgeous tart, pinning to my figs board!
This tart would be wonderful on a Christmas buffet table, but please could you tell me how you roasted the marzipan & was it as a single piece? Thank you
I didn’t roast the marzipan actually. I got it as a gift from a friend, so it is sold as roasted marzipan. In this case it was bought in Germany. Not sure if it would be sold anywhere else. You can substitute for regular marzipan though.