Smoked Rosemary & Roasted...Smoked Rosemary & Roasted Fig Tart with Goat Cheese Mousse

An elegant, multi-textured dessert pairing the earthy warmth of smoked rosemary-infused roasted figs with a velvety, tangy goat cheese mousse, cradled in a crisp toasted hazelnut sablé shell.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the pastry shell, pulse hazelnut flour, all-purpose flour, 50g of powdered sugar, and cold cubed butter in a food processor until it resembles wet sand. Add the egg yolk and 1/2 tsp of sea salt, pulsing just until a cohesive dough forms.

2. 02

   Roll the pastry dough between sheets of parchment paper to 3mm thickness. Cut and press into six 4-inch loose-bottom tartlet pans. Dock the bottoms with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.

3. 03

   Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Blind bake the tartlet shells with weights for 12 minutes, then remove weights and bake for another 6-8 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Let cool completely.

4. 04

   Increase oven temperature to 200°C (400°F). Toss the halved figs and rosemary sprigs gently in the smoked honey. Arrange the figs cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and roast for 10-12 minutes until caramelised and tender. Discard the baked rosemary sprigs and set figs aside to cool.

5. 05

   For the praline, dry-toast the pine nuts in a pan until lightly golden. In a small saucepan, heat the granulated sugar and 2 tbsp of water without stirring until a deep amber caramel forms. Stir in the pine nuts and a pinch of sea salt, pour onto a silicone mat, and let cool completely. Once hardened, finely chop into a crunchy praline texture.

6. 06

   Prepare the mousse by whisking the goat cheese, mascarpone, remaining 25g of powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste together until smooth and light. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks, then gently fold it into the goat cheese mixture in three stages.

7. 07

   To assemble, pipe the goat cheese mousse into the cooled pastry shells. Arrange four roasted fig halves on top of each tartlet. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of the salted pine nut praline and a few fresh micro-rosemary leaves.