My parents have a huge fig tree in their backyard and every year for about 2 weeks in July we have SO many figs, we don’t know what to do with all of them! The figs are extra big and sweet this year, making them perfect for desserts. For the Fourth of July weekend, we opted for a lighter dessert to accompany our meat-heavy cookout. This Mascarpone Fig Tart was the perfect end to the meal.
The dough recipe is a simple Pate du Sucre (Sweet Pastry Crust) adapted from Joy of Baking. It held up very well to the filling and wasn’t overly sweet. I appreciated that it didn’t need to refrigerate overnight like many of the other pie crust recipes suggest.
Once the dough has chilled, you simply press it into your pie pan, trying to make sure the dough is even across the pan. Once out of the oven, I used a lightly beaten egg white to brush the crust and “seal” the dough, preventing the filling from creating a soggy crust.
While the dough is baking, I quickly whipped up the filling. Since our figs were so sweet, I opted for only about 1/3 cup of honey. You can add more honey to achieve your desired sweetness level for the filling. Once the dough has cooled off, simply spread the filling evenly into the crust.
Next, arrange the sliced figs on top of the filling. I used about 16 figs, sliced in half. If using large figs (such as Black Mission Figs), you may need fewer figs to fill the tart. Top it off with chopped nuts of your choice – we prefer pistachios, I think they pair really well with the figs and mascarpone. Walnuts or pine nuts may be an interesting choice as well.
We all thoroughly enjoyed this fresh fig tart! It was a great use of some of our figs and it wasn’t overly sweet. It makes a great healthier summer dessert idea!
Mascarpone Fig Tart with Pistachios and Honey
Ingredients
Tart Crust
- 1.5 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter Room temperature
- Pinch Salt
- 1 Egg Beaten
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg White Beaten
Filling
- 1.5 cups Mascarpone Cheese
- 1/3 cup Honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 12-16 Figs Halved
- 2 tablespoons Pistachios Chopped
Instructions
Tart Crust
- Whisk together the salt and flour in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter using electric mixer or stand mixer until pale and soft.
- Add in sugar and continue to beat until fluffy consistency reached.
- Slowly add in beaten egg and mix until incorporated.
- Next, add the flour mixture in and beat until crumbly mixture achieved.
- Work the dough with your hands, creating a ball. Flatten slightly into a disc shape.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for about 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Spray a tart or pie pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Remove dough from freezer. Over a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until disc is flattened to about 1/8 inch.
- Transfer dough into pie pan. If the dough tears, don't worry. Simply press the dough into the pie pan as evenly as possible.
- Place pie pan in the freezer for another 10 minutes.
- Prick holes in the tart dough with fork. Bake for 5 minutes at 400F. Then another 15 minutes at 350F.
- Remove from heat. Immediately brush with beaten egg white to seal the crust. Let cool. Can be made ahead and refrigerated.
Filling
- Combine mascarpone, vanilla, and honey into large bowl. Beat until mixture is smooth.
- Once crust has cooled, use a spatula to even spread mascarpone mixture into tart.
- Place halved figs on top of the filling, continuing until the entire tart is covered. Number of figs needed will vary based on size of figs.
- Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top.
- Refrigerate until time to serve.