Nowadays the word pie, tart, tarte, and torte are sometimes used interchangeably. For marketing purposes, people like to use foreign words which sound more expensive. In pastry chefs’ terms, pies generally refer to a double crust with a filling, or a crust made in a pie pan. Tarts are usually made in more shallow pans with removable bottoms. Tortes are types of cakes (torte is French for cake, and torta is Italian).

Classic jam tarts are popular home style desserts all over Italy. They enjoy a special place in the hearts of people from the Emilia-Romagna region who serve them in thin slices with a cup of espresso whenever they need to take a break from the day. I love the warm, zingy flavor of ginger with the rich fruitiness of figs. To complement the earthy tones in this tart, I use whole wheat pastry flour which adds a little more depth to the crust. You can double the recipe and freeze the crust for later use.

Ingredients:

Basic Pie dough:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, or unbleached, all-purpose flour
5 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature for hand mixing or cold and cut into small pieces for food processor
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4-5 tablespoons cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten, to brush over pastry

For the Filling:
2 pounds dried green figs, trimmed
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Zest of 1 orange
1 (10-ounce) jar fig jam
1 large egg, lightly beaten in a small bowl
Preparation:

Make the pie dough by mixing flour and butter until crumbly in a medium sized bowl or by pulsing on and off in a food processor. Add the sugar, egg, water, and mix into a soft dough. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to use. Make the filling by combining figs with the orange juice and letting them sit for 1 hour. After the hour is up, combine figs, orange juice, ginger, and orange zest in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat to medium low, and cook until figs are soft and most of liquid is evaporated, about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow figs to cool completely, add the jam, and mix well to combine. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Butter or spray a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, into a 12-inch circle. Place the dough into the prepared tart pan and press dough evenly into the pan. Trim the edges and crimp the borders. Prick the bottom of the pastry shell with a fork. Pour in the filling and spread evenly with a spatula. Roll out remaining dough and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Place on top of crostata. Brush the top pieces with the beaten egg and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.