Fresh Fig Tart

This is my #1 fig tart I make in the summer when I am lucky enough to have fresh figs.

I have made it with dried figs in the winter, but there is nothing better than using fresh figs during the season (which is mid to late September in my garden, NOW).

It's pretty simple and almost tastes like you bought it at a French patisserie.

It is from chef David Tanis (who lives in Paris and was pastry chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Ca.).

I suggest you go find some figs and make this....it's so good.

Fig Tart (adapted from NY Times):

4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus butter for greasing pan
1 cup natural raw almonds (not blanched) or almond meal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
8 ripe figs, stems removed and sliced in half
raw sugar (turbinado for sprinkling on top)

Heat oven to 350F degrees.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan or pie pan; set aside.

Put almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor and grind to a coarse powder. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; pulse to combine.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, honey and almond extract. Add almond mixture and beat for a minute until batter is just mixed. Pour batter into greased pan.

Remove stem from each fig and cut in half. Arrange fig halves cut-side up over the batter.

Sprinkle figs with raw sugar and bake for 30 minutes, until golden outside and dry at center when probed with a cake tester.
I let my tart cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing it.

Enjoy!