Fig Tart Recipe (with Walnuts)
This fig tart with walnuts is a simple, yet fancy way to impress your holiday guests! It’s a luscious combination of earthy dried figs, and a delicious nutty crunch, with a slightly sticky sweet base in a rich crispy butter tart shell.
Recipe Ingredients
- Dried Turkish figs – Do not use fresh figs they will not hold up well in this tart.
- Brandy, water, granulated sugar, orange zest, and walnuts
Ingredients Needed for the Pastry
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt – Base for the tart pastry.
- Unsalted butter – Cold and cut into cubes.
- Egg, water, vanilla extract
Tips
- Use dried Turkish or Calimyrna figs.
- Don’t add too much to the dough. Add the first tablespoon, process, and then test by squeezing between your fingers.
- Do not over-process the dough, only process it until it just starts to come together. If you process it until it forms a ball the baked crust will be tough.
- Be sure after pressing the dough into the tart pan, to place it on a plate or baking sheet before freezing. The bottom of the tart pan is removable so you need to be careful not to lift it from the center bottom piece. If this happens press to seal the cracks and freeze again for about 5 minutes.
- This tart dough cooks through before browning, which means we don’t have to prebake the shell.
How to Make Fig Tart Filling
In a medium saucepan combine the figs, brandy, water, and sugar bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid evaporates and the figs are very soft about 10 minutes.
Stir in the orange zest and walnuts, set aside, and let cool completely.
What is Pasta Frolla (tart dough)?
It is an Italian sweet shortcrust pastry. It’s used for all kinds of pies, cookies, and tarts. It cooks through before browning completely, which means there is no need to prebake the dough.
How to Make Pasta Frolla
In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Pulse for about 5 seconds to incorporate.
Spread the butter cubes evenly over the flour mixture. Pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal about 7-8 pulses.
Whisk the large egg, 1 tablespoon of water, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. With the food processor running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just starts to come together, about 10-12 seconds. If the dough does not come together add the other 1 tablespoon of water and pulse another 3-5 times.
Pour the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a 5-inch disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours up to overnight.
When ready to form the tart crust, pull the dough out of the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to warm up slightly. This will make it easier to work with.
Between 2 large sheets of floured parchment paper roll the dough into a 13-inch round. If the dough starts to stick carefully lift the sticky area with a bench scraper and dust the parchment paper with a little more flour.
Slide the dough, still in the parchment paper, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 20 minutes to chill.
Remove the top layer of parchment paper and carefully roll the dough around a rolling pin and gently unroll it onto a 10-inch tart pan that has a removable bottom, allowing excess dough to hang over the edge of the pan.
Ease the dough carefully into the pan by gently lifting the edge of the dough with your hand while pressing into the corners with your other hand. Gently press the dough into the fluted sides of the pan. If some sections of the edge are thinner than others, reinforce them by folding the excess dough back onto back into the pan.
Run the rolling pin over the top edge of the pan to cut and remove the excess dough.
Place the tart pan on a large plate and wrap it with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 30 minutes until the dough is chilled and firm.
How to Make a Fig Tart
Preheat the oven the 325 degrees F.
Remove the tart pan from the freezer and unwrap. When baking the tart place it on a rimmed baking sheet.
Spread the cooled fig filling evenly over the bottom of the tart shell.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the edges of the tart crust are lightly golden brown.
Carefully transfer the tart to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
To remove the outer ring from the tart pan, slide a thin metal spatula between the tart shell and the bottom of the pan, then carefully slide the tart onto a serving platter.
This fig tart recipe receives rave reviews!
Store covered in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days.
I have not tested freezing this tart. You can certainly try by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to a month or so.
More Dessert Recipes To Try
- Walnut Fig Bread
- Italian Fig Cookies (Cucidati)
- Eggnog Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
- Gingersnap Crust Pumpkin Pie
- Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
- Italian Butterball Cookies
Fig Tart Recipe (with Walnuts)
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 lb Dried Turkish figs, stemmed and coarse chopped
- 1/2 cup Brandy
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp orange zest
- 1 cup Walnuts, coarse chopped
Tart Dough
- 1 1/3 cup All-purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup Granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4-in cubes
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp water
Instructions
Fig Filling
- In a medium saucepan combine the figs, brandy, water, and sugar bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid evaporates and the figs are very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the orange zest and walnuts, set aside, and let cool completely.
Tart Dough
- In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Pulse for about 5 seconds to incorporate.
- Spread the butter cubes evenly over the flour mixture. Pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal about 7-8 pulses.
- Whisk the egg, 1 tablespoon of water, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. With the food processor running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just starts to come together, about 10-12 seconds. If the dough does not come together add the other 1 tablespoon of water and pulse another 3-5 times.
- Pour the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a 5-inch disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours up to overnight.
- When ready to form the tart crust, pull the dough out of the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to warm up slightly. This will make it easier to work with.
- Between 2 large sheets of floured parchment paper roll the dough into a 13-inch round. If the dough starts to stick carefully lift the sticky area with a bench scraper and dust the parchment paper with a little more flour.
- Slide the dough, still in the parchment paper, to a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes to chill.
- Remove the top layer of parchment paper and carefully roll the dough around a rolling pin and gently unroll it onto a 10-inch tart pan that has a removable bottom, allowing excess dough to hang over the edge of the pan.
- Ease the dough carefully into the pan by gently lifting the edge of the dough with your hand while pressing into the corners with your other hand. Gently press the dough into the fluted sides of the pan. If some sections of the edge are thinner than others, reinforce them by folding the excess dough back onto back into the pan.
- Run the rolling pin over the top edge of the pan to cut and remove the excess dough. Place the tart pan on a large plate and wrap with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 30 minutes until the dough is chilled and firm.
Assemble and Bake
- Preheat the oven the 325 degrees F.
- Remove the tart pan from the freezer, unwrap, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread the cooled fig filling evenly over the bottom of the tart shell.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the edges of the tart crust are lightly browned. Carefully transfer the tart to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To remove the outer ring from the tart pan, slide a thin metal spatula between the tart shell and bottom of the pan, then carefully slide the tart onto a serving platter.
Notes
Nutrition
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen