Figs and hazelnut tartlets with vegan custard

Summer is starting to become a memory, the days are getting shorter, and the fruits are changing. However, if I had to describe my August in the countryside in two words, they would be: figs and tomatoes! And it is to figs that I dedicate this recipe.**

These shortcrust pastry tartlets with vegan custard and figs won't make you miss traditional desserts—in fact, quite the opposite! Delicious and made from easily accessible plant-based ingredients, each bite offers a very versatile base that can be adapted depending on the seasonal fruit.**

For the shortcrust pastry: Mix the dry ingredients, including the chopped hazelnuts. Add the oat milk and form the classic "ball," wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for half an hour. 
In the meantime, prepare the custard. In a saucepan, mix the cornstarch, agar-agar, lemon zest, cinnamon, and sugar. Bring the soy milk to a boil, then slowly pour it into the saucepan while stirring with a fork to absorb all the dry ingredients. Put the saucepan back on the stove, and using a whisk, stir continuously and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let it cool.

Take the dough out of the fridge, place it between two sheets of parchment paper, and roll it out evenly. The dough should be about 1 cm thick. Using a cookie cutter or a glass, cut out disks of the same size and transfer them into tartlet molds. I use a 4x5 muffin mold. Cut out small disks of parchment paper the size of the tartlet bases, place them on the dough, and cover them with beans or rice. Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment paper with the beans (or rice) and bake for another 10 minutes.

Once baked, let the tartlet shells cool. In the center of each tartlet, place a teaspoon of jam (I use fig jam), cover with the custard, and garnish with fresh figs and hazelnut crumbs.

If you prepare the custard in advance, you can store it in the fridge with plastic wrap in contact with the surface.

Alternatively, you can make a classic tart instead of the tartlets.