Good fresh figs are hard to find, as most figs are picked too early. Look for them at farmers markets unless you are lucky enough to have your own tree.

Ingredients – Serves 6
1 pint fresh Mission figs, washed and cut in quarters
1 Tbs. butter
½ cup honey
1 sheet puff pastry (recipe below or buy it ready-made)
1 cup almond meal
½ cup sugar
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt

Process
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt the butter and honey in a skillet. Gently cook the figs in the honey mix, turning delicately so they don’t fall apart. Line a tart pan with puff pastry. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until you get soft peaks. Add the sugar, and beat to stiff peaks. Fold in the almond meal. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden.

3. Top the baked tart with figs and honey syrup. Serve with a small scoop of lavender whipped cream.

Puff Pastry
The key to success with this pastry is to have all ingredients at room temperature, so that the butter doesn’t tear the dough, and to allow rest between turns, so it doesn’t get tough.

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1&1/4 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 lb unsalted butter

Process
1. Mix the flour, salt, and water, kneading enough to obtain a smooth dough. Set aside for 30 minutes. Roll out into a large rectangle. Spread the butter over the dough, leaving a 1” rim around the outside. Fold the dough over itself in thirds, like a napkin. Give it a quarter turn. Let it rest 15 minutes. Gently roll out the dough again, and again fold it in thirds. Give it another quarter turn. Proceed so that each time the dough gets folded differently from the previous one. Repeat 4 times. Let the dough rest for 2 hours before using. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Lavender Whipped cream

Ingredients
1 pint whipping cream
2 sprigs lavender, rinsed and patted dry
½ cup powdered sugar 

Process
Heat up the cream to a simmer, and pour over the lavender in a bowl. Infuse for 15 minutes. Remove the lavender, chill the cream. Proceed as for regular whipped cream, whipping to soft peaks then sifting in the sugar.