Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Made from scratch with freshly harvested Mission figs 😋
Quick Blueberry Preserves
- Rinse and drain blueberries. In a saucepan, combine the blueberries with the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, remove from the heat and transfer the fruit mixture to the glass bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap in contact and let cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. The next day, transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring gently. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until the temperature reaches 221ºF (105ºC), stirring and skimming as necessary. Pour the blueberry preserves into sterilized jars or a bowl if using within a week. Let sit at room temp for a couple of hours. Store the blueberry preserves in the refrigerator and use within one month.
Fig-Blueberry Spread
- Heat water. Combine sugar and agar-agar, then add to the warm water. Bring to a boil, then add figs and the blueberry preserves. Add ruby port, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes, then mix with an immersion blender. Refrigerate until completely set, then blend again.
Pastry Cream
- Soak the gelatin in cold water to soften, then drain and set aside. In a saucepan, bring the milk and half the sugar to a boil. In a separate bowl, gently whisk together the egg yolks, the remaining sugar, vanilla, and powders until smooth. Gradually temper the egg yolk mixture by slowly adding the hot milk while whisking constantly. Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan and bring it to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the softened gelatin until fully dissolved. Spread the custard onto a frozen baking tray lined with plastic film. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until fully chilled. Once chilled, beat the pastry cream using the paddle attachment until smooth before using for piping.
Puff Pastry
- Cut the puff pastry into two 10-ounce (300 g) portions. Keep the pastry refrigerated until ready to use. Dust your countertop with flour and roll out each portion into an 11-inch (28 cm) square that should be 4 mm thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest. Re-roll and prick with a fork or pastry dough docker, then chill again. Next, cut the pastry sheets into 10-inch (25 cm) disks. Lightly mist two baking trays with water and place a frozen puff pastry disk on each tray. Place the pastry in the freezer until ready to bake.
Baking
- Preheat your fan oven to 330ºF (160ºC). Remove the puff pastry disks from the freezer. Bake for approximately 35–40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the pastries cool completely.
Assembly
- Pipe two-thirds of the chilled pastry cream evenly over the first puff pastry disk. Add a layer of blueberry-fig spread and fresh blueberries on top of the pastry cream. Take the second puff pastry disk and cut it into 8 equal portions. Arrange these portions over the assembled layers to create a decorative top. Pipe additional pastry cream on top as needed and arrange fresh figs artfully. Garnish with mint leaves for a final touch. Slice and enjoy within 12 hours.
