Lattice Fig Tart

This is a wonderful Fig Tart to make use of summer fruit. An Italian crostata recipe, it's a simple tart to eat with a cup of coffee or to take on a picnic. It lasts for a few days, and you'll find the step-by-step instructions for making both the sweet dough from scratch and homemade fig jam (but you can use store-bought).

I've been making this tart, or crostata, for a long time with different fillings. Here in Argentina, we have a strong Italian heritage and many of my recipes reflect that. Lattice pie is wildly popular, traditionally made with quince paste.

But today we're changing that and using homemade fig jam (made by my mom!) and using what is probably my favorite sweet dough, the Italian pasta frolla, the one I use for the popular Lemon Ricotta Pie, that is easy to make and versatile.

What is a lattice tart?

Lattice is the name given to the strips of dough placed in a crisscross pattern (image below) that leaves diamond shapes in between and is used in many tarts or pies.

A lot of amazing lattice patterns have emerged over the years with the help of Pinterest and other media. Some are intricate and time-consuming but make for incredible tarts!

The word also applies to metal and wooden strips that create the same pattern which is usually used as a holding structure, like triage in gardening.

About the tart dough I'm using today.

What is pasta frolla or Italian sweet crust?

Pasta frolla is a simple sweet dough made with flour, butter, egg, and sugar. Flavorings are sometimes added. And you might also find some with a pinch of baking powder too.

This dough is easy to make as any other sweet dough recipe. I use the processor for the first part, but you can easily make it by hand.

This is the crust used for crostata which is the Italian lattice tart, traditionally filled with marmalade or jam.

Steps for making tart dough:

1. Mix cold butter (image 1) with dry ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture, with butter pieces no larger than peas.
2. Add egg (image 2) and mix just until it moistens the flour mixture but don't let it turn into a ball in the processor (image 3).
3. To test if the amount of liquid is right, press a bit with your palm and if it comes together it is done (image 4).

The final dough should come together easily.

Tips for making pie dough:

• Butter, have it cold and in pieces. This is very important so it mixes a bit with the flour but is not completely incorporated into it. Some pieces of butter the size of peas should remain in order to ensure flakiness when it is baked. I use a food processor for this part, but you can easily make it in a bowl with a dough cutter or use your hands, always being careful not to overwork the butter and heating it up too much (due to warm hands). If that happens, return the bowl as is to the fridge for 10 minutes, and then continue.
• Don't overwork the dough after adding the flour. This is a critical step if you want a tender, light dough. Once the flour is added, don't overwork it, it doesn't need to be kneaded. It needs to be mixed until there are no visible streaks of flour (image below).
• Always let it rest in the fridge before rolling it. This step is absolutely essential. The dough, even if you didn't work it much when assembling it, will have developed some gluten (great for bread for example but not for doughs), so it needs to relax in the cold refrigerator before it is rolled. Otherwise, it will be difficult to stretch and will be too elastic, which will make it shrink as it bakes and be tough.

Rolling the dough

Start with cold dough. Keep it in the fridge up until you have everything set up. You want to keep it as cold as possible while rolling it so it's easy to manipulate and doesn't break when you line the pie pan. But keep in mind that sweet doughs (such as this pasta frolla or other similar ones with eggs and sugar) are more delicate than for example a savory dough made with just flour, butter, and water.

Organize your space. Make sure you have ample space in your counter, some flour ready to lightly dust the surface, the rolling pin, the pan and, ideally, a cornet (bench knife, image below) or a bowl scraper to help you lift it up after it's rolled.

The dough should be rolled a few inches larger than the tart pan (image above) so that it can be easily fitted into the pan.

Then it should be blind baked which means that the dough is pre-baked so that the crust dries a bit and when the filling is added it doesn't seep into the dough, or at least not much (instructions in the recipe).

About the filling

You can fill it with any jam or sweet paste, even Nutella or dulce de leche.

The traditional here is with quince paste, but today I'm using my mother's homemade fig jam (recipe below). She makes some for me every year and I usually eat it directly from the jar or with cheese. The figs are in big chunks and the syrup is sticky and sweet and plain awesome.

So a fig tart or crostata was dancing in my mind and it finally happened. Let me tell you it's a phenomenal combination.

Finally, the lattice, those strips of dough that are put on top of the filling in a crisscross pattern.

They are easily made by rolling some dough and making strips with the pizza cutter (my choice). You can use a large kitchen knife too. My lattice is always rustic. Always. I never take the time to make perfect strips. It is what it is.

Top tips

• Dough: make sure you follow the instructions carefully for making the pie dough and blind baking it. You'll find more tips in the note section of the recipe below.
• Fillings: you can use a homemade jam or a good store-bought one. The quality will add (or subtract) from the final product. Quince paste, fig jam and dulce de leche are my favorites.
• Keeping: this type of tart keeps for a few days at room t°. It can be frozen too and will last, well wrapped, a month.

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