fig tart Archives - Beyond Sweet and Savory

Hey there! It’s been awhile since we posted a recipe. Life got a bit busy. Actually a LOT busy since we became a family of four in August. More on that later!

For now I want to share a fig recipe because it’s National Fig Week! If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know how crazy I am about figs. I love figs in desserts and in a snack but once in a blue moon I love a savory fig dish. The sweetness of fig paired with the tang of goat cheese makes this tart a perfect light lunch. It is super easy to throw together because the recipe uses store bought puff pastry. These days we rely on quick meals to get us through the day with both of our boys keeping us super busy. You can enjoy the tart by itself or with a light salad of some peppery greens like watercress or arugula. Enjoy!

Fig and goat cheese tart with thyme and hazelnuts

About 10 oz of puff pastry
6 ripe figs
2 tbsps goat cheese
½ tsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsps toasted hazelnuts
Egg yolk for brushing
1 tsp sanding sugar
All purpose flour for dusting
Extra honey and thyme leaves for serving

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Lightly dust a pastry board or work surface with flour and roll the pastry out into a 9×7 inch oval.

3. Carefully lift the pastry onto the baking sheet, taking care not to stretch the dough.

4. Leave a one inch border, prick the pastry with a fork, and pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

6. In a bowl, mix the goat cheese, honey, and thyme leaves together until well combined.

7. Slice the figs into circles.

8. Remove the puff pastry from the freezer.

9. Spread the goat cheese mixture over the pastry, leaving a one inch border around the edges.

10. Arrange the fig slices on top of the goat cheese.

11. Fold the edges of the puff pastry over the fig slices and press gently to seal.

12. Brush the edges with egg wash and sprinkle the sanding sugar over the edges.

13. Bake the tart in the middle rack for 20-25 minutes until the tart becomes light golden and juices start to run from the figs.

14. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.

15. When ready to serve, sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts on top and garnish with additional thyme leaves and honey.

Since figs started appearing at the farmers market, we’ve been making these fig and yogurt tarts a lot. We usually enjoy figs with yogurt and granola when they are in season. Black Mission figs, tiger stripe figs, or brown Turkey figs. We like them all. A few months back, I decided to transform one of our favorite breakfast staples into a dessert when we had friends over for dinner.

The dinner menu was pasta and meat centric so I opted to end the night with something light and refreshing. This fig and yogurt tart is our healthier take on dessert. You definitely won’t feel cheated out of a dessert but your body will thank you for not sending it into a sugar high.

A lot of people asked for the recipe when they saw the picture featured on the Pure Green Magazine Instagram account so we decided to share the recipe on the blog. Enjoy!

Fig and yogurt tarts
1 cup of Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)
¼ cup of mascarpone
2 tablespoons of honey
6 figs (Black Mission figs or any figs you like)
2 tablespoons of caster (superfine) sugar
2 tablespoons pistachios, chopped

For the pastry dough
¾ cup of spelt flour (if you don’t have spelt flour, you can replace with another wheat flour, nut flour like almond meal, or all purpose flour)
¾ cup of all purpose flour
1 stick of butter
2 tablespoons of icing sugar
pinch of salt
¼ cup of ice-cold water

1. Sift the flours together. To make the pastry crust, place the flours, sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
2. While the mixture is being processed, gradually add cold water until the dough comes together.
3. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 60 minutes before rolling.
5. Divide the pastry dough into 6 pieces and roll out the dough onto a floured surface to ¼ inch thickness.
6. Line six 4-inch tart pans with the dough and trim the excess. Save the extra dough in your freezer for up to a month. Prick the base with a fork and cover the tarts with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and line the tarts with parchment paper. Fill with baking weights (you can use rice or beans if you do not have any baking weights).
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for another 5 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely while you prepare the filling.
9. To prepare the filling, place the yogurt, mascarpone, and honey in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
10. Place sugar on a plate. Quarter the figs. Press cut sides onto sugar to coat well. Use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelize the figs. (This caramelization step is optional if you don’t own a kitchen blowtorch.)
11. Divide the yogurt mixture between the cooled tart shells, top with caramelized figs, and garnish with crushed pistachios.