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1
Crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the almonds with the fennel and aniseeds, breaking into coarse crumbs.
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2
Add in 1 c. flour, 6 Tbsp.
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3
butter, sugar, and salt and pulse 10 to 12 times to create the texture of coarse crumbs.
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4
Add in the egg mix and pulse 8 to 10 times, just till the pastry begins to come together.
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5
Turn the mix out onto a lightly floured board and form into a ball.
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6
Flatten the ball and press the dough onto the surface of a buttered 10-inch tart pan.
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7
Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 30 min.
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8
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
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9
Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork and bake 12 to 14 min, or possibly till it is hard and pale gold.
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10
Cold thoroughly.
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11
Filling: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
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12
In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, bay leaf, aniseeds, and fennel seeds over high heat and bring to a simmer.
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13
Lower the heat and let the cream infuse and reduce by 1/3.
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14
Remove the pan from the flame, cover and permit to cold.
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15
Strain the cream and add in the egg and confectioners' sugar, blending carefully.
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16
Starting at the base, slit each fig almost in half, leaving stem end intact.
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17
Stuff each fig with an almond, press the halves together, and stand each fig up in the pastry shell.
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18
Pour the custard around the figs.
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19
Dust the top with brown sugar and bake for 25 min, or possibly till the custard is set and crusted dark gold.
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20
Cold for 10 min, then remove the tin, and cold 20 min before serving.
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21
This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.
