Best Fig Tartlets Recipes

WARM BLACK MISSION FIG, WALNUT CRUNCH, AND BLUE CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• For walnut crunch:
• Stir honey, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt in medium skillet over medium heat until sugar melts. Cook until mixture boils and is deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Mix in walnuts. Pour out onto sheet of foil; cool completely. Chop walnut crunch into small pieces. Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• For figs and pastry:
• Stir 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and salt in heavy large skillet over medium heat until sugar is evenly moist. Cook until sugar begins to turn golden, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes (mixture may be granular). Place figs in sugar mixture, cut side down, and cook until figs begin to release juice, about 3 minutes. Add butter; swirl skillet to melt. Remove skillet from heat. Add Port and let stand 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer figs to plate and cool. Return syrup to boil, whisking until smooth. Cool syrup completely. Do ahead Figs and syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Rewarm syrup before using.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with foil. Roll out thawed puff pastry on lightly floured surface to 12x8-inch rectangle. Using 3 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out 6 rounds; arrange on prepared sheet. Divide walnut crunch among pastry rounds. Top each with 3 fig halves, cut side up.
• Bake tartlets until pastry is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Do ahead Tartlets can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm at 350°F for 8 minutes.
• Arrange cheese atop warm tartlets. Brush or drizzle with warm Port syrup, then top with cube of honeycomb or drizzle with honey.

FIG TARTLETS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the pastry into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece to the thickness of a £1 coin and cut into a 11-12cm round, using a cutter or saucer as a guide. Place on the baking sheet and mark 1cm in from the edge, taking care not to cut right through the pastry. Fork over the pastry inside the marked line.
• Slice each fig and arrange, overlapping, inside the marked line of the tartlets. Brush with the butter and sprinkle with icing sugar. Can now be chilled for up to 5 hrs. Bake for 18-20 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden on the edges.
• Warm the jelly in a small pan, brush over the tartlets, then dust with more icing sugar. Serve warm from the oven or at room temperature, with Pistachio ice cream (see 'Goes well with...') or crème fraîche.

ROASTED FIG TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Pulse flour, granulated sugar, salt, and egg yolk in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, gradually add ice water, and process until dough comes together. Divide in half, and shape into disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 3 days).
• Make the filling: Beat cream cheese with a mixer until fluffy. Beat in creme fraiche and confectioners' sugar until smooth. (Filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before using.)
• Roast the figs: Preheat oven to 350. Combine port, anise, cinnamon, peppercorns, zest, granulated sugar, and honey in a roasting pan. Use the tip of a paring knife to scrape vanilla seeds into port mixture, then add pods. Add figs, and turn to coat. Roast, basting once, until figs are soft and liquid is syrupy, about 45 minutes. Let cool. (Figs and syrup can be refrigerated up to one week.)
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using a 4-inch fluted tartlet pan turned upside down as a guide, cut out 8 rounds. Fit dough into tartlet pans. Prick bottoms with a fork. Place shells on a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Bake tartlet shells until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer molds to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons filling into each shell. Top with figs, and drizzle with syrup. Garnish with orange zest. (Tartlets can be refrigerated for up to one hour.) Remove molds and serve immediately.

BROWN BUTTER FIG TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make the tartlets: Preheat the oven to 350. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat
• and cook until it browns and smells nutty, then let cool. Stir in the flour, both sugars and the
• salt with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon water, if necessary, to help the dough clump together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead three or four times, or just until the dough comes together.
• Scoop 1/4 cup dough into each of 6 nonstick muffin-pan cups. Press the dough down in the middle and slightly up along the sides to make a cup shape. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Place 1 heaping tablespoon fig jam in the center of each tartlet and bake until golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool slightly, then remove from the pan.
• Meanwhile, make the topping: Heat the bourbon, sugar, 1/2 cup water and the vanilla pod and seeds in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the figs and poach until they are plump and the liquid is syrupy, about 15 minutes. Serve the tartlets with the figs, their sauce and a dollop of creme fraeche.

CHEESE TARTLETS WITH FIG JAM

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 8-10 minutes or until onion is deep golden brown, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir in preserves. Place shells on an ungreased baking sheet; fill with onion mixture., In a small bowl, combine the cheeses, egg yolk and pepper flakes. Spoon over tops. Bake 350° 5-8 minutes or until heated through. Top with thyme if desired.

HONEYED FIG, PANCETTA AND BLUE CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• 1.Heat the oven to 375°F. Stir the pancetta, Honeyed Figs, rosemary, cheese and honey in a medium bowl. To make the Honeyed Figs: Place 6 whole dried figs, stems removed, into a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup hot water and 2 tablespoons honey. Let stand for 1 hour. Drain the figs well in a colander. Coarsely chop the figs. 2.Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut the pastry sheet into 3 (2 1/2-inch wide) strips. Discard the remaining pastry. Cut each pastry strip into 4 (2 1/2-inch) squares, making 12 in all. Press the pastry squares into 12 (1 3/4-inch) mini muffin-pan cups. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons pancetta mixture into each pastry square. 3.Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Garnish with additional fresh rosemary, if desired. 4.Time-Saving: Fresh figs are in season in the fall and the spring. You can substitute 6 chopped fresh figs, stems removed, for the Honeyed Figs. Stir in with the pancetta, cheese and honey as directed in the first step.

ROASTED FIG TARTLETS

Steps:

• With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in crème fraîche and confectioners' sugar until smooth. (Filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before using.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine port, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns, zest, granulated sugar, and honey in a roasting pan. Use the tip of a paring knife to scrape vanilla seeds into port mixture, then add pods. Add figs, and turn to coat. Roast, basting once, until figs are soft and liquid is syrupy, about 45 minutes. Let cool. (Figs and syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.)
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out eight 5-inch rounds. Fit dough into 4-inch tartlet pans, and trim excess dough flush with rims. Pierce bottoms of shells all over with a fork. Place shells on a rimmed baking sheet; refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake tartlet shells until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons filling into each crust. Top with figs, and drizzle with some syrup. Garnish with orange zest curls. Tartlets can be refrigerated up to 1 hour. Unmold, and serve immediately.

GORGONZOLA, FIG AND WALNUT TARTLETS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F Unroll pie crust on flat surface. Using 2-inch cookie cutter, cut 24 rounds from pie crust, rerolling crust scraps if necessary. Gently press 1 round in bottom and up side of each of 24 ungreased mini muffin cups.
• In small bowl, mix figs, brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. Spoon slightly less than 1 teaspoon fig mixture into each cup. Break up any larger pieces of cheese. Top each tartlet with slightly less than 1 teaspoon cheese.
• Bake 7 to 11 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Remove tartlets from pan to serving plate. Drizzle tartlets with honey. Serve warm.

FIG AND PORT TARTLETS

Steps:

• Combine preserves and port in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Fill each tart shell with 1 tablespoon fig/port mixture.
• Whip cream in a large ice cold bowl, using an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar and cinnamon extract and whip until stiff peaks. Place the whipped cream in a resealable plastic bag and cut 1/2 inch off the corner of the bag.
• Top each tartlet with a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with a dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar.

PISTACHIO FIG TARTLETS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the figs, brown sugar, bacon and butter. Spoon into tart shells., In another bowl, beat the cheeses, confectioners' sugar and apple juice concentrate until blended. Stir in chopped pistachios; dollop over tartlets. Sprinkle with additional pistachios if desired. Chill until serving.