Today I am welcoming the lovely Jill Colonna, author of Mad about Macarons. I met up with her in Paris this summer for a delightful afternoon of tasty treats and non-stop chatter!
When Mardi asked me to guest post on her blog, I was so excited. Imagine being asked to do something for eat. live. travel. write! When Mardi was last in Paris, we met up for goûter or quatre heures. What a wonderful afternoon we spent together, indulging on a selection of light but decadent pastries.
Mardi had no hesitation choosing the spoon-clinging hot chocolate and myself, a pot of Ceylon Earl Grey which arrived with a timer and instructions to infuse the giant teabag for no more than 4 minutes.
Quatre minutes when you’re sharing funny stories of life in Paris? We didn’t see the time pass so I’m sure any tea gourmets would have held their hands up in horror. So, Mardi – next time you come to Paris this pastry jaunt has to be made into a ritual. We have to do this for our readers’ sake, n’est-ce pas?
Mardi’s readers are no stranger to French cuisine. She always cooks up a storm in her kitchen – including macarons – to perfection. So what could I serve up to her friends? With such a short fig season, I’m currently adding figs to so many dishes.
Who gives a fig? I do. It’s the season!
At our local market in Saint Germain-en-Laye (just outside Paris) these figs are set out like jewels, individually nested in their crates begging, just try me for ripeness. Pick figs that are ripe but firm enough to the touch. That way it will be easier to cut them into thin slices.
One of my personal favourites is this fig tart. It’s pretty to look at but light enough with a pot of Oolong orange blossom tea for Quatre Heures. That way there’s still room for dinner! It’s so simple to make and easy to cut. The addition of orange flower water gives it that extra je ne sais quoi to the almond and honey base.
For that extra taste of France, I love to scatter just one dried lavender flower to the tart once it comes out of the oven. Or sprinkle on a few flaked almonds.
A luscious fig tart by "Mad about Macarons" author, Jill ColonnaJill Colonna's fig tart recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Thank you so much Jill for guest posting today! I highly encourage you to head over to Jill’s site, Mad about Macarons. Her book is available on Amazon, Amazon Canada or with free worldwide shipping from The Book Depository!
This tart looks amazing! I also love the short ingredients list – it goes to show that delicious (and rather fancy looking) doesn’t have to equate to over-complicated.
What a lovely guest post, Mardi 🙂
Jill, this is one stunning tart! And I enjoyed the rundown of your tea date with Mardi. I would have over steeped my tea, too!!!
I so love slice of life posts. Wonderfully written, stunning photos and a joy to be a fly on the wall. Thank you so much for the recipe and for the excellent post!
Dave
Mardi,
Thank you so much for being such a wonderful hostess. Love your photos of your pastries and the tea-timer. We need to return so that I can have what you had! Jill xo
wish I had been able to meet up with Jill this summer but looks like she and i will have to plan something! Only wish you could be there too! Last time I went to Un Dimanche à Paris, I jumped the gun a bit. Their salon de thé doesn’t open until 3, I came at 11 hoping for a hot chocolate! Oops! On the (enormous) list of places to kick back.
This tart looks divine. I love the touch of lavender. So fun the two of you met up, one of the perks of blogging!
That looks great! I’ve totally been obsessed with figs for about a year now, and I’m always looking for ways to use them.
Amazing tart recipe. And i can’t wait till fig season 🙂
Honestly, I can’t remember tasting this fruit, not only its difficult to get here but its really pricey. Great outcome in making the tarts and what a gorgeous stand out color of the fruit.
What a lovely way to spend an afternoon! Just as well the tea police weren’t around Jill, especially when you’d specifically been given a timer! Gorgeous tart. I don’t bother buying figs here – they are usually pretty yuk by the time they’ve made the journey. Maybe they’d be ok cooked. Your tart looks so wonderful I have to try it soon.
So nice you teamed up and had tea!
Yes, the timing of the tea is very important.
The figs are beautiful and look so ripe. I am sure they tasted full of flavour and fall.
I would love to have a piece of this with a lovely cup of tea! I wish I could get fresh figs to try this.
Wow what a beautiful tart. I love fresh figs too!
It is so simple of a recipe but the results are so exotic!
What a gorgeous post! I’m so happy you got to meet this summer – and that we get this great tart recipe from it.
Wow! This looks amazing! I wish I had this recipe when we picked piles of figs from our trees this summer. Saving it for next year though!
What a great looking tart! I’ve recently fell in love with figs so I’m pinning this one to remember. Great guest post!
I was just watching a cooking show where the were using figs and they looked so delicious! Now your tart is making me crave them. It’s official, I now need to go out and make this! 🙂
Wow. What a gorgeous dish! I love figs!
I have a bit of a bakers-crush on Jill and LOVE figs (use them every year in my birthday tart) so this was quite a delightful post to read. And what a recipe! Buzzed and saved, thanks!
Wow – what a beautiful recipe…the figs are stunning! It sounded like your time together was lovely.
I’ve recently rediscovered the joy of figs, and cannot wait to try this recipe.
Thanks for sharing!
What a stunning tart! I’m not a real huge fan of figs (weird, right?), but this makes me want to give them another shot.
How wonderful to see the lovely Jill Colonna as a guest, and what an incredible job she did! Wonderful recipe, looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing =]
Hopping from Jill’s site and I love what she shared here on your website..by the way nice to meet you Mardi. This is really beautiful guest post, got to love charming Jill!
Hi Mardi! I came here from Jill’s website. Arh, this fig tart looks so good… I’m bookmarking this recipe and hope to try it soon. I hope I can line up those fig slices beautifully like Jill did it… It was a wonderful guest post and I enjoyed reading it. 🙂
I’m here because I saw fresh figs. Pure and simple—figs are an expensive rarity here in New York state. That’s a hard reality to accept after growing up in California where we had fig trees in our back yard and growing wild along the path and buckets of figs could be had for nothing more than a little physical effort. Sigh. Lovely tart. I’m saving it and dreaming (and figuring out a way to grow figs in my 4-season backyard. Thank you!
Ohhh that layer of almond, honey and orange water makes this tart a master piece! It sounds so delicious!!!
Jill! Seriously, you NEVER cease to amaze!
Mardi,
I came over here from Jill’s blog. You were very lucky to have Quatre Heures with Jill and make wonderful memories over tea and chocolate
Jill, a great guest blog, and your pictures are stunning as always. I love reading about adventures in Paris.
As a fig lover (after all, who doesn’t?!), this looks divine and I am definitely going to have to try it when the season comes early next year.
Gorgeous fig tart!! That Jill is a master-o-macarons and now master-o-tarts as well! I thoroughly enjoyed this post!!
oh, that tart is beautiful!
Light pastries eh? I’m only jealous 🙂 Yummy fig tart, pass the cream.
Thank you all for your sweet comments about this lovely post from Jill! I am glad to see she has many fans, as she should – talented and down to earth, to boot! I wish you could all meet her!
Gosh, Mardi, you’re making me blush. Ditto, my friend. Let me know next time you’re in Paris – we have to continue some serious pastry tastings! Thanks again for being such a wonderful host. J xo