Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry (thawed if frozen)
1 teaspoon heavy cream or melted butter
1 pinch fennel seed crushed to a fine powder
1 pinch finely grated orange zest
4 large ripe figs
1 tablespoon sugar or warmed honey
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions

Cut the pastry in quarters, and roll out each piece to a 43/4-inch circle. Using a sharp knife, trace a 4-inch inner circle on the center of each but do not cut all the way through the pastry. Turn the pastry edges up to encourage a good rise. Lay the pastries on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with the heavy cream or butter, sprinkle the inner circles with the fennel and orange zest, and chill for at least 20 minutes, or up to an hour.

Cut off the stalk and a sliver of skin from the base of each fig, then slice the fruit into rounds. Chill separately from the tarts.

When ready to cook, heat the oven to 450? F and heat an empty baking sheet (larger than the one being used to chill the tarts). Meanwhile, arrange the figs on the inner circles of pastry, overlapping the slices as necessary. Sprinkle sugar or drizzle honey over the fruit.

Slide the baking sheet the tarts are on onto the hot baking sheet. Reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fruit is hot and aromatic, and the pastry is puffy, crisp and golden. Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Makes 4 servings.