Fig Hazelnut Mini Tarts-Gluten Free

Do you believe in fate?  I believe that sometimes things are meant to be, but I can't explain why.   I recently lost a non baking prospective job, I am not even sure how it happened, likely due to a not so clear e-mail exchange.  Fate wanted that the same day I scheduled an interview with a woman who is opening a bakery in my town, ten minutes walking distance from my house.  Maybe there is a bakery job in store for me, and it would have been impossible to accept it if I had started at the other job.   I also applied to become a Master Gardener and with the prospective job I wouldn't have been able to do it, so maybe it was meant to be.

I think fate wanted me to try this recipe.  I had some figs left from a tart I made on Saturday, and was wondering what to do with them (besides stuffing them in my mouth).  While trying to stuff organize more recipes in my overflowing recipe box, a little recipe card literally jumped out at me.  I originally found it in Martha Stewart magazine, get this...in October 1995, and because it looked so good I kept it but forgot all about it for sixteen years, and four moves later fate wanted me to find it again, when figs are in season.

 Had I found it in January I would have put it back in the box and forgot it again, don't you think?  Are you a believer now?

Since the original recipe contains only two tablespoons of flour I knew it would be a great recipe to adapt and make gluten free.

Below you can find Martha's recipe with few changes I made.  The original recipe calls for brandy and ground pepper but I skipped both.  This is such a versatile recipe, and I plan on using it with other nut and fruit combination, pistachios and cherries come to my mind for example.

I lettori Italiani possono trovare la ricetta tradotta in basso.  La ricetta originale contiene farina,  l'ho trasformata in una ricetta priva di glutine usando 50:50 farina di riso e amido di mais a parita' di dosi.

Fig and Hazelnut Tart

Makes four 4" tartlets of an 8" tart

8 figs, preferably Black mission

1 1/2 cup/200 gr skinned hazelnut, toasted*

1 tablespoon rice flour
1 tablespoon corn starch

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 large egg plus an egg white

2 tablespoon/1 oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350F . Cut 6 figs into 3/4-inch dice. Set aside in a bowl.
2. In a food processor, process nuts until medium fine. Sift together rice flour and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar; add to nuts; pulse to combine. Add egg, egg white, butter, and zest. Process to combine, about 10 seconds. Add batter to figs, and mix together.
3. Spray four 3 3/4-inch (or one 8-inch) tart pans with vegetable-oil spray. Divide batter evenly among the pans. Cut remaining 2 figs lengthwise into six slices each. Arrange three slices over each tart. Place tart pans on a baking sheet. Bake until tarts are set and golden brown, about 40 minutes (for individual tarts or one large tart). Remove from oven and cool slightly. Remove tarts from pans, sprinkle with remaining sugar, and serve.

*If you can't find skinned hazelnuts, toast them at 320F for 10 minutes, then using a kitchen towel rub them against each other until the skin comes off.  It won't work for all the nuts, but it is okay because whatever skin is left it will impart flavor too.   Return the nuts to the oven and toast for another 10-15 minutes.

If you are like me and you can't get enough figs, here are more recipes using this amazing fruit:
Fig raspberry crostata with linzer crust
Fig tart from Chez Panisse
Ricotta fig tart
Focaccia with figs

Crostata di fichi e nocciole

8 fichi, preferibilmente neri

200 gr nocciole spellate

10 gr  farina di riso
10 gr amido di mais/maizena

60 gr zucchero a velo
1 uovo piu' 1 albume

30 gr  burro, sciolto e raffreddato

2 cucchiaini di scorza di limone

Mezzo cucchiaino di sale

1. Riscaldare il forno a 180C. Tagliare 6 fichi a dadini.
2. Macinare le nocciole con lo zucchero e la farina fino a risultare in una farina fina (aggiungendo la farina si fa si che le nocciole non si trasformino in burro). Incorporare il resto degli ingredienti, mescolare bene, e aggiungere i fichi a dadini, e mescolare bene.
3. Imburrare bene quattro mini formine da crostata o una da 20 cm. Dividere il composto tra le formine.  Tagliare i due fichi rimasti in 6 fette in lunghezza.  Disporre tre fette per ogni mini crostata.   Trasferire le formine su una pirofila da forno, e cucinarle fino a che le crostate sono dense e dorate, 15-20 minuti.   Lasciare raffreddare, rimuovere le crostate dalle formine e spolverare con ulteriore zucchero a velo.