Fig Tartlets with Ricotta & Honey: Welcome Fall!

When the other day I was grocery shopping, I could not resist buying that box of plump and luscious figs. And all of a sudden, I had a throwback of my childhood, when in September, I was eating one of these small fig tartlets that our trusted baker was selling. I knew that time was figs’ season, which meant that summer was sadly ending and the fall would have started soon.

I decided to bake those same small tartlets, maybe because I cannot wait for my trip back home! This recipe is rustic and simple, made from scratch with fresh ingredients. These fig tartlets with a nice buttery crust, have a layer of homemade fig jam and a second layer of ricotta aromatized with vanilla beans infused brown sugar. They are then topped with fresh figs slices drizzled with honey. These tartlets are also lower in sugar, as I made the figs jam with low sugar contents and I used less sugar for both the crust and the ricotta spread. I hope you will love them as much as I do!

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How to use Figs in Italian cooking

Figs are probably one of the fruits with the shortest shelf life and luckily enough September is filled with these delicious gems. In Italy figs are very popular both in sweet and savory preparations, so why not using them for some quick and easy figs recipes?

– Jam is the easiest to do and it will last longer if you jar it. Please look at the recipe at the bottom. For jarring tips, please check my post here.

– Cookies filled with figs are also very popular and are called Settembrini cookies ( which in Italian it means cookies you can find in September).

– Figs and Mascarpone Tart or Fig and Ricotta Tart are also popular, given the use of both mascarpone and ricotta to prepare Italian desserts.

– Salami and Figs: this is a classic appetizer to enjoy with a glass of white wine or prosecco. You can have it as bruschetta topping or you can roll the salami around the fig, usually divided into quarters.

– Figs and prosciutto are another popular recipe, usually the prosciutto used is Parma Ham sliced thin and wrapped around the fig. Or you can enjoy a nice slice of Prosciutto di Parma and Fig over a crostini, sprinkled with mint.

– Figs are a perfect pairing with Gorgonzola cheese and Goat cheese.

– A more simple alternative is to slice in quarters the figs and scatter them on a cheese and cold cuts board.

– And last, fig risotto which can be served with speck or with gorgonzola for a sweet and savory combination.

But let’s focus now on the Fig Tartlets with Ricotta and Honey!

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How to prepare Fig Tartlets with Ricotta and Honey

These tartlets will require a few steps and 2 hours of your time, but the result is totally worth it. I will also share with you a few suggestions so that you will still be able to make this recipe but in half of the time.

Make the Figs Jam

Gather the figs and wash them. Peel them, you should in fact use only the pulp to make the jam. Chop them coarsely. Continue by putting the figs in a pot, and cover it with sugar. The amount should be between 15% and 20% of the fruits’ weight if you want a less sweet jam. If you would like to make it sweeter, you can increase the amount of sugar, up to 35%–40%. Add the lemon juice, and let the mixture simmer on the stovetop at low heat for about one hour.

You will notice the jam becoming thick as the fruits release their water and it evaporates. Try testing the consistency with the back of a wooden spoon: if the jam runs down the spoon slowly, the jam is ready. If it still has a liquid-like texture, you need to let it simmer for another 15 minutes.  At this point your jam is ready and you can place it in a large bowl, to allow cooling down. My tip is that the jam needs to be cold. If you use it when it is still warm, it will make your crust soggy.  

If you do not have the time to make your own jam, consider buying a ready-made jar. 

Make the pastry dough

For this shortcrust pastry dough I used half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour, as I wanted to obtain a more rustic effect.

Gather the flour, the butter chilled and cut in cubes, sugar, and salt. Add all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you obtained crumbles. Place the crumbles on a floured surface. Work the dough with your hands adding 2 tablespoons of cold water. Keep on working the dough until you will reach a smooth consistency as pictured below. This step needs to be done quickly and you need to make sure to maintain your hands cold, possibly with some cold water. It is very important to avoid the butter to melt before it gets into the oven.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375° F / 190 ° C.  In the meantime, cut 8 pieces of baking paper that fits the tartlets tins, sized 3 in / 8 cm, and 4 in/ 10 cm. Soak and squeeze the baking paper and place it inside each tin.

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Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into two, keeping cold the part you will not use yet. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, that you previously left in the refrigerator. With the aid of a round-shaped cutting tool, cut the pastry in pieces big enough to fill the baking tins. Place the dough over the individual tartlets tins that you previously filled with baking paper. Mold it nicely with your hands.

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Pierce the surface with a fork. Cover the pastry with baking paper and fill it with uncooked dry beans to prevent the dough to bubble and rise while cooking. Bake it for 15 minutes then remove it and allow it to cool down. Reduce the oven to 325° F / 160 ° C.

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if you do not want to make your own pastry, in order to save time, you can buy a ready made one. Or even easier, you can look for ready-made tartlets that you can then fill following the recipe.

Make the ricotta spread

At this point mix the ricotta with vanilla beans infused brown sugar until well combined. I used Demerara Sugar infused with Vanilla Beans. If you cannot find the sugar, you can use brown sugar and mix it with vanilla powder.

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Assemble the fig tartlets

Now take each tartlets, fill them with a thin layer of jam, followed by the ricotta spread. Cut the figs with their peel on, in thin slices. Place the slices radially on the tart and drizzle with honey. Bake the fig tartlets in the oven for 30 minutes.

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Once they cool down, they are ready and you can finally reward your efforts with a tasty fig tartlets!

Fig Tartlets with Ricotta & Honey variations and substitutions

These sweet fig tartlets with Ricotta and Honey are suitable for vegetarians. They are also relatively lower in calories as the amount of sugar used is reduced. In addition, they are rich in fiber thanks to the figs and the whole wheat flour.

To make it gluten-free, I suggest to use a paleo flour, I usually use Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Flour, as I like the final results of this flour in several preparations.

To make this fig tartlets vegan, sub the butter with some vegetable spread. Remove the ricotta and just use the jam and the fresh figs.

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If you want instead to make this dessert more decadent, I recommend the following fillings:

– Mascarpone cream, you can follow the instructions on the Strawberry Tart with Mascarpone Cream recipe.

– Frangipane filling: it is a cream made with a mix of flour, sugar, eggs, cream, and finely ground almonds that is extremly tasty as a flling in tart and tartlets.

How to serve Fig Tartlets with Ricotta & Honey

They are ideal for breakfast or to enjoy as a snack or coffee break. In case you will go for a more luscious variations, as suggested above, you can then serve it as dessert for a dinner.

The fig tartlets, if they will last more than one day, will stay good for 3 days in the refrigerator.

 

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