Fig Apple Tart Recipes

SUNNY'S CRANBERRY, APPLE AND FIG STREUSEL TART

Steps:

• Par-bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use both pie crusts to cover the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish. Patchwork works, just cover the holes. Dock by pricking holes in the crust with a fork all over the bottom. Bake until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the fruit filling: In a large bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, almond extract, pumpkin pie spice, lemon zest and lemon juice. Divide the mixture among the smaller bowls: 3/4 cup in the first, 1/2 cup in the second and 1/4 cup in the third. (Think of the 3 bears: poppa, momma and baby bear bowls.)
• Put the cranberries in the poppa bear bowl; in the momma bear bowl, add the apples; and in the baby bear bowl, add the figs. (Do you need a translation? Add cranberries to the bowl with the most flour mixture, apples to the bowl with 1/2 cup of the flour mixture, and the figs to the bowl with the least amount of the flour mixture.) Stir each bowl independently, unless you¿re an octopus.
• For the streusel topping: In a food processor add the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt. Blend until crumbly, taste and add more salt if needed. Pour into a small bowl with the almonds and stir.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pour the fruit filling into the prepared crust, dividing it into thirds with the apples in the middle and the figs and cranberries on either side. Top evenly with the streusel mixture. Cover the pie edges with aluminum foil so they don¿t overcook. Bake until the top is golden brown and the fruit is beginning to bubble around the edges, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm with the bourbon whipped cream.
• Whisk the cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add the bourbon and sugar and continue whisking until the cream holds slightly stiff peaks when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Refrigerate and serve cold.

FRENCH FIG TARTS

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a 5-inch-round flat disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for exactly 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• On a floured board, roll the dough to a rectangle a little larger than 10-by-14 inches. Wrap the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared pan. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the dough to a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Remove the stem of each fig and cut them in quarters through the stem (or in sixths, if the figs are very large.) Place the figs in rows on the dough. Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.
• Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the fruit starts to brown. Rotate the pan once during baking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The juices will burn in the pan but the tart (and the pan!) will be fine! When the tart's done, loosen it from the pan while it's still warm and transfer it to a board or clean piece of parchment paper.
• In a small pan, heat the apricot jelly with 2 tablespoons water and brush the fruit and pastry completely with the mixture. Allow to cool, cut into squares, and serve warm or at room temperature.

FRESH FIG TART

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sea salt on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula and add confectioners' sugar. Combine with butter at low speed. Once incorporated, scrape down bowl and paddle. Add almond flour and vanilla extract and combine at low speed.
• Gradually add egg and a quarter of the flour (scant 1/2 cup or 55 grams). Beat at low speed until just incorporated. Scrape down bowl and paddle. Gradually add remaining flour and mix just until dough comes together, stopping from time to time to scrape in any mixture adhering to sides and bottom of bowl. Do not overbeat. Dough should be soft to the touch.
• Separate dough into two equal portions. Gently press each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Double-wrap airtight in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one dough portion for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight; chill or freeze the second portion for another use.
• Very lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. (You should not be able to see the butter.) On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 10 1/2-inch circle, 1/4 inch thick. Dust work surface and dough often, and work quickly so dough remains cold. Gently roll dough over lightly dusted rolling pin and transfer to pan, gently easing it in and trimming the top edge. Chill uncovered for at least 1 hour, preferably longer.
• Prepare the tart: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together almond flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and flour into a medium bowl.
• Place butter, salt and vanilla and almond extracts in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and beat 1 minute at medium speed. Scrape down bowl and paddle, and add almond flour mixture. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute, until incorporated. Stop, scrape down bowl and paddle, then turn on machine and gradually add egg. Add rum and beat at medium speed until egg and rum are incorporated.
• Remove tart shell from refrigerator and place on a baking sheet. Using a fork, pierce rows across surface of crust, about 1 inch apart. Scrape almond cream onto crust and, using a small offset or rubber spatula, spread evenly over crust.
• Place in oven and bake 40 minutes, until crust and almond cream are golden brown and the tip of a knife comes out clean when inserted into cream. Remove from oven and let cool for 40 minutes on a rack.
• Using a small spatula, spread fig jam over surface of tart in an even layer.
• Remove stems from figs. Cut small and medium figs into quarters, large figs into sixths or eights. Arrange in concentric circles, starting with the rim, with the stem end down. Slices should angle upwards. If not serving right away, refrigerate. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

APPLE TART WITH CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.
• Combine butter, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Turn out onto a clean work surface and quickly form into a ball. Dust a large piece of plastic wrap with flour and place pastry on top. Cover with a second piece of plastic wrap and roll out between the wrap to fit the 9-inch springform pan.
• Place pastry into the bottom and the sides of the prepared springform and prick numerous times with a fork. Line pastry with parchment paper and a layer of pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry crust is firm but not hard, about 15 minutes. Let the pastry cool for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper and weights; continue baking until the crust sets, about 5 minutes more.
• Layer thinly sliced apples evenly over the pre-baked pastry crust.
• Whisk creme fraiche, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Pour over apples.
• Bake tart in the preheated oven on top of a baking sheet (in case some filling spills) until tart is set and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. The filling should still be a little wobbly, as it firms up while cooling.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Strain apricot jam through a sieve. Combine apricot jam and water in a saucepan and heat until runny, about 3 minutes. Brush the jam over the top of the tart. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over tart.
• Place tart under the broiler until the top is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.

APPLE-FIG CRISP

Steps:

• Whisk 3/4 cup flour, 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl to blend. Rub in butter with fingertips until mixture forms moist clumps. Mix in pecans. (Topping can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Combine figs and applejack in large bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Mix apples, 1 tablespoon flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice into figs. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with topping. Bake 40 minutes. Cover loosely with foil. Continue to bake until apples are very tender, about 20 minutes longer. Uncover; let cool at least 30 minutes.
• Spoon crisp into large shallow bowls. Serve with cream, if desired.

FIGGY APPLE BRIE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Spread butter over bottom of a small cast-iron skillet or shallow 1-qt. baking dish; sprinkle evenly with sugar., Peel, quarter and core apples; arrange in a circular pattern over sugar, rounded side down. Place figs around apples. Place skillet over medium heat; cook until sugar is caramelized and apples have softened slightly, 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat; top with cheese. , Unroll crust; place over fruit and cheese, tucking under edges. Place skillet in oven on an upper rack; bake until crust is golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Let cool in skillet 5 minutes. Carefully invert onto a serving plate; serve warm.

FIG AND APPLE PHYLLO TART

Steps:

• Remove any stems from figs. In a saucepan combine figs with remaining filling ingredients and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, or until very tender. Transfer mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Brush a 9-inch-square or 10-inch round tart pan with a removable fluted rim with some butter. On a work surface arrange 1 sheet phyllo with a short side facing you and brush with some butter, On it layer 3 more sheets phyllo and more butter in same manner and line pan, pressing phyllo into pan with fingertips and leaving short sides overhanging.
• Repeat layering procedure with remaining phyllo and some of remaining butter and arrange in pan at a 90-degree angle to the first lining, easing to fit. Put pan on a baking sheet and roll overhanging edges under loosely (outside the pan) to form a decorative edge. Brush edge with remaining butter and spread fig mixture evenly on bottom.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Peel, quarter, and core apples and cut each quarter in 3 or 4 wedges. Arrange apple wedges over fig mixture in decorative pattern and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake tart in middle of oven 40 minutes.
• In a small bowl stir together yogurt and egg.
• Remove tart from oven and increase oven temperature to 475°F. Pour yogurt mixture over apples and cover edge of tart with foil. Return tart to oven and bake 15 minutes, or until apples begin to brown. Cool tart in pan on a rack 30 minutes and sprinkle with almonds and confectioners' sugar.

GLAZED FIG & ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Place almonds in a food processor; cover and pulse until ground. Add flour; pulse to combine. Set aside., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg yolks. Gradually add flour mixture and mix well. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack., In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients for glazed figs; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until figs are tender. Uncover; cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until figs are glazed and 3 tablespoons liquid remains. Remove from the heat; cool completely. , For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, honey and lemon zest until smooth; spread over crust. Arrange figs over filling; drizzle with remaining liquid. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, sprinkle with almonds and confectioners' sugar if desired.