Fig-Almond Tart

Ingredients for the crust:
1 large egg yolk
1 T heavy cream
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour, plus more
6 T white granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced, plus more

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Ingredients for the filling:
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup white granulated sugar, divided
3 large eggs
1 T all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (scant) slivered almonds
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces fresh Mission figs (about 12 medium), stemmed and quartered

Preparing the crust:
Whisk egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Mix 1 1/3 flour, sugar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

Add 1 cup butter; mix on low speed until coarse meal forms. Add egg mixture. Blend just until moist clumps form. Gather into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour.

Butter a 10-inch diameter tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll out dough to 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to pan. Press onto bottom and up sides. Trim excess dough. Chill 30 minutes.

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Preparing the filling:
Bring half-and-half to a simmer in a small saucepan. Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, and flour in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in half-and-half. Return to saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in vanilla. Set over a bowl of ice water; stir pastry cream until cold. Remove from ice bath; set aside.

Finely grind almonds with 1/3 cup sugar in a food processor (do not grind to a paste). Using an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between additions. Gradually beat in almond mixture, then 1/2 cup reserved pastry cream (reserve remaining cream for another use). Cover; chill until firm, about 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread filling over crust. Arrange figs, cut side up, in concentric circles over filling. Place tart on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling in center is golden and set, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let tart cool completely in pan on a wire rack.