Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus chilling time
Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves 8

First, make the dough. Sift together the flour and salt into a bowl, add the butter, and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor.) Stir in the sugar, then add the egg yolk, and mix to a smooth dough, adding 1 tablespoon of water if necessary. Wrap in plastic wrap (clingfilm) and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°f/180°c/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease a loose-bottom 9½ inch/24 cm tart pan. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to ⅛ inch / 3 mm thick. Carefully line the prepared pan, letting a little of the dough overhang the edge. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Prick the bottom of the pie shell (pastry case) with a fork, line with wax (greaseproof) paper, fill with pie weights (baking beans or dried beans), and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, return the pie shell to the oven, and bake for another 5–10 minutes until the pastry is golden. Let stand on a wire rack to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°f/150°c/Gas Mark 2.

To make the filling, beat the butter with the superfine (caster) sugar until light and creamy, then gradually beat in the eggs. Add the ground almonds and flour and mix well. Spread the almond mixture over the bottom of the pie shell, then press the figs into it. Sprinkle with the slivered (flaked) almonds and demerara sugar and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove the tart from the pan, dust with a little confectioners’ (icing) sugar, and serve warm or cold.