Mini Fig Tarts Recipe
Photo: Martin Thompson
Makes 20 tarts
Ingredients
1 (10-ounce) package figs, stems removed
1 cup pitted dried plums (prunes)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
All-purpose flour
Pastry dough (recipe below)
2 tsp. sugar
Directions
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus chilling
In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook figs, dried plums, brown sugar,and 1 cup water until mixture thickens and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. In a food processor, blend fig mixture and lemon juice until pureed. Spoon into a bowl; cover and set aside.
On lightly floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out half of pastry dough 1/8-inch thick (keep remaining dough refrigerated). Cut out 10 (3 1/4 inch) rounds (reroll trimmings if necessary). Press rounds onto the bottom and up the sides of 10 (2 1/2 inch) springform tart pans. Repeat with remaining dough and 10 more tart pans. Place tart pans in a large jelly-roll pan for easier handling.
Gather remaining trimmings into a ball and reroll. With a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 20 rounds for top of tarts. Transfer rounds to a large baking sheet lined with waxed paper.
Refrigerate or freeze tart shells and rounds for 15 minutes to firm dough.
Preheat oven to 425°. Spoon about 2 Tbsp. fig filling into each tart shell. Cut each top dough round into 6 strips, but don't separate strips. With a spatula, place 1 cut dough round on top of each tart; gently separate dough strips slightly. Sprinkle tarts with sugar.
Bake tarts until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in tart pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove tarts from pans and cool completely on racks.
Pastry Dough
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
Directions
In a food processor, pulse flour and salt to combine. Add butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles small peas. Add 6 Tbsp. ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, pulsing twice between each addition, until pastry begins to just hold together (it will be crumbly).
Turn pastry onto work surface; shape into rough ball. Flatten into thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Ingredients
Directions
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus chilling
In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook figs, dried plums, brown sugar,and 1 cup water until mixture thickens and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. In a food processor, blend fig mixture and lemon juice until pureed. Spoon into a bowl; cover and set aside.
On lightly floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out half of pastry dough 1/8-inch thick (keep remaining dough refrigerated). Cut out 10 (3 1/4 inch) rounds (reroll trimmings if necessary). Press rounds onto the bottom and up the sides of 10 (2 1/2 inch) springform tart pans. Repeat with remaining dough and 10 more tart pans. Place tart pans in a large jelly-roll pan for easier handling.
Gather remaining trimmings into a ball and reroll. With a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 20 rounds for top of tarts. Transfer rounds to a large baking sheet lined with waxed paper.
Refrigerate or freeze tart shells and rounds for 15 minutes to firm dough.
Preheat oven to 425°. Spoon about 2 Tbsp. fig filling into each tart shell. Cut each top dough round into 6 strips, but don't separate strips. With a spatula, place 1 cut dough round on top of each tart; gently separate dough strips slightly. Sprinkle tarts with sugar.
Bake tarts until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in tart pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove tarts from pans and cool completely on racks.
Pastry Dough
Ingredients
Directions
In a food processor, pulse flour and salt to combine. Add butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles small peas. Add 6 Tbsp. ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, pulsing twice between each addition, until pastry begins to just hold together (it will be crumbly).
Turn pastry onto work surface; shape into rough ball. Flatten into thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
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