Fig and Caramelized-Walnut Tart

Two weeks ago, our friend Shehnaz invited us for dinner on August 28th, and I insisted on providing dessert for the occasion. I was thinking a spectacular chocolate and chestnut layer cake with 2 different buttercreams and 2 different kinds of cake layers. But come the morning of August 28th, common sense prevailed, and I decided to use the apples and figs at home. I turned to a tried-and-true recipe for the apples: Normandy Apple Pie. As for the figs, I gave the Fig and Caramelized Walnut Tart recipe from Simple Tarts (by Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen) a first try.

I had to make some minor modifications during preparation. I will incorporate the ones by choice--such as the reduction of butter in the crust and sugar in the caramel--in the recipe below, and I will mention the ones made by necessity--such as the brief poaching of my tasteless figs in a sugar syrup and substitution of pecans for walnuts--only here. Although I am not a fig-lover, I thought that this tart is a nice-looking and light dessert. We had it plain, but sour cream or Greek yogurt are suggested as accompaniments in Simple Tarts and I am sure that they would go very nicely with it.

• Easy Nut Crust (recipe below)
• 8-10 fresh figs, quartered
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs dark brown sugar
• 1 cup walnut halves
• 1/4 c honey
• 1-2 tbs lemon juice

Line a 9" removable-bottom tart pan with Easy Nut Crust and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F. partially blind-bake the crust. Arrange the quartered figs on the crust, put back in the ovan and bake just until the figs start to soften (about 10 minutes).

While it cools, prepare the caramelized walnuts. Mix the butter and brown sugar, and cook stirring until the sugar melts and a bubbly caramel forms. Now add the walnuts and stir them so that they are uniformly coated with caramel. With my reduced sugar amount, there was no caramel left to drizzle on the tart, but the amount of sugar in the original recipe is 1/4 c, so if you want, you can use increase the sugar and do so. Tuck the walnuts between the fig quarters.

Heat the lemon juice and honey together. Either drizzle on the tart or wait until it thickens a little, and brush the mixture on the figs.

Easy Nut Crust

This yielded a little more pastry that I needed for my 9" tart pan. I guess it would be just right for a 10" pan. The book says that there is no need to use weights before blind-baking, but my crust rose and I had to deflate it with the back of a spoon.

• 1 1/2 sticks (already reduced from 2!) butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 c finely chopped nuts

With an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat to blend. Now add the rest of the ingredients and beat until dough forms. Gather with floured hands and press into the tart pan. Refrigerate and prick with a fork before baking.