I still remember the first time I ate a fresh fig. When I was in high school, my summer job was working in the kitchens at Ravinia Festival, which is where I got my culinary start. I went into the walk-in cooler where one of my coworkers offered me this unusual and exotic fruit. I eagerly took a bite and couldn’t believe how amazing the flavor and texture were! It was so sweet, and the texture was soft and supple with pleasant, tiny seeds throughout. After that new and delicious experience, I always seek out fresh figs when they become available in the late summer and fall.
I was pleasantly surprised when I went grocery shopping last weekend to find pints of fresh black mission figs that were on sale. Figs are typically expensive because they are a very fragile fruit to transport, but since they were only $2.99 a pint, I grabbed a couple and put them in my cart.
There are several varieties of figs but the most common you’ll encounter are Black Mission figs, Brown Turkey figs and Adriatic figs. The Black Mission fig has Mediterranean roots but is also grown in California. They have a deep, purple skin and a pink interior, and are known for being sweet and earthy when ripe. Because they are so delicious on their own, there’s not much you need to do to them – cut them in half and use them as a garnish on a cheese platter, dollop them with Greek yogurt and top with a drizzle of honey or prepare a simple puff pastry tart like I did.
Brown Turkey figs, also grown in California, are similar in appearance to Black Mission figs, but have some green striping throughout. They are not as sweet as Black Mission figs, which makes them perfect for fig jam or a fig tarte tatin. Grilling these figs will also help pull out their sweetness. Or, try this recipe for Fancy Fig Ice Cream!
Adriatic figs (the first variety I ever tried) originated from the regions around the Adriatic Sea but are now grown worldwide with most of the figs in the US coming from California. They have a green exterior with a bright pink-reddish interior. They are known to be super sweet, so serve them as is, add them to a salad with tangy goat cheese or feta to balance the sweetness, wrap them in prosciutto and drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar or serve them on top of ice cream.
Like I mentioned before, I made a very delicious-yet-simple puff pastry tart with my fresh figs that contains just three elements.
Puff Pastry: I love puff pastry because it’s so versatile and easy to find at the store (look in your freezer section). It can be used for sweet or savory recipes (like this tomato tart), and all you need to do is defrost it and it’s ready to go. I always gently roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to smooth out the creases.
Cream Cheese Filling: Beat together room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste or extract to make a flavorful and comforting filling.
Figs: Quarter your figs and toss with a splash of freshly squeezed orange juice and honey. That’s it!
To assemble the tarts, cut the lightly rolled out piece of puff pastry into six squares- *not all puff pastry brands sell the same size sheets, so just do your best to get six equal-size squares from the puff you work with. Using a paring knife, score a 1-inch border around each square and dock the center with the tines of a fork. This will help the edges puff up and the bottom stay flat.
Spread an equal amount of cream cheese filling into the center of each square and decoratively top with the figs. Bake until deeply golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Once cool, drizzle with flat icing (powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract). Allow the icing to firm up and then enjoy. I took my tart to the beach on Labor Day and scarfed it down after my lunch… for something so simple it tasted so complex!
Fig and Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts
Yield: 6 individual tarts
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 20 minutes
Start to finish: 1 hour
1 sheet (approximately 1 pound) puff pastry, defrosted
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 pint fresh figs, quartered
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed
Pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten with a splash of water
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
2. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and gently roll out to smooth out the creases.
3. Using a knife or pizza wheel, cut into six equal-size squares. Place the pastry squares on the sheet tray. Tip: It’s okay if the squares are close to each other as they will not spread.
4. Using a paring knife, score a 1-inch border around each square and use the tines of a fork to dock the center. Refrigerate until needed.
5. In a medium-size bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
6. In a separate bowl, gently stir together the figs, honey, orange juice and salt.
7. To assemble the tarts, spread the cream cheese filling in the center of each square and decoratively top with the figs.
8. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the tarts with the egg wash.
9. Bake until the tarts are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool.
10. While the tarts are baking, prepare the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and extract until smooth.
11. Once the tarts have cooled, drizzle with the icing and allow to set up before enjoying, about 20 minutes.
With fall looming, now is a good time to start thinking about all the delicious, seasonal and comforting desserts that will be available soon. Take our iconic Apple Pie for instance. You can grab a slice during Apple Fest in October or learn how to make your very own whole pie from scratch in our Bake and Take Apple Pie classes. There are three dates to choose from:
You can also pre-order whole apple pies for pick up during Apple Fest.
