Ingredients
Toffee
Method
1.Grease four deep 10cm-round loose-based flan tins.
2.Place flour, custard powder and sugar into a medium bowl; rub in butter. Stir in yolk, rind and enough water to mix to a soft dough. On a lightly-floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour.
3.Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line prepared tins. Lift pastry into tins and press into sides, then trim edges. Place tins on oven tray and prick bases with fork. Cover pastry with baking paper; fill with dried beans or rice. Bake, uncovered, at 180°C for 10 minutes. Remove paper and beans. Bake, uncovered, further 10 minutes or until browned lightly; cool.
4.Halve figs; cut each half into three wedges, ready for dipping in toffee.
5.Cover three oven trays with foil. To make toffee, combine sugar and the water in small saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Simmer, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture turns golden brown; remove from heat.
6.Dip fig wedges into toffee; place on one oven tray to set. Place nuts on another oven tray and pour over half of the remaining toffee. Stand until set. Break almond toffee into pieces, then blend or process until crushed finely.
7.Gently reheat remaining toffee in saucepan. Working quickly, dip a fork into pan and drizzle long thin strands of toffee onto remaining oven tray. Add juice and the extra water to any toffee remaining in pan; simmer about 5 minutes or until mixture is syrupy.
8.To make mascarpone cream, whip cream in small bowl until firm peaks form. In two batches, fold in mascarpone, then finely crushed almond toffee.
9.Place pastry cases on serving plates; fill with mascarpone cream. Top each with toffee-coated fig wedges and toffee strands; pour warm orange syrup around tartlets.
