September is a month of abundance, or at least it is in my mother’s garden this year. We went foraging there a few days ago to see what we could find. As well as gathering lots of windfall apples, a big bowl of blackberries, some plums and a few blueberries, we came home with four ripe figs.
I’ve already made a few jars of bramble and apple jelly and these blackberry and apple cupcakes. I have plans for the plums and blueberries and after a quick consultation with Love Bake Nourish by Amber Rose, I decided to make an adapted version of her fig and mascarpone tarts. I altered quantities a bit and apart from the mascarpone, the filling I came up with is quite different.
This is how I made:
Fig, Mascarpone and White Chocolate Tarts
- Whizzed 250g spelt flour (half wholemeal, half white), a pinch of salt, 90g of cubed unsalted butter, grated zest of an organic lemon and 25g cardamom (caster) sugar in a food processor until mixture resembled breadcrumbs.
- Added an egg and a couple of tbsp cold water & whizzed again.
- Gathered mixture together with my hands and formed a ball. Placed it in a plastic bag and popped into the fridge for half an hour.
- Rolled the pastry to the thickness of a pound coin and cut out circles to fill ten 10cm tart tins.
- Baked at 180C for about 15 minutes until just golden. Set aside to cool.
- Quartered 4 figs and placed into a greased ovenproof dish.
- Dotted a little knob of butter over each quarter, then drizzled with a little thyme honey.
- Roasted in the oven at 180C for 15 minutes.
- Melted 100g of chopped vanillary white chocolate (G&B) in a pan over hot water. Set aside to cool a little.
- Stirred 250g mascarpone in a bowl, then added the chocolate and stirred until smooth.
- Divided the chocolate mixture between 6 of the tart cases (leaving 4 to do something else with).
- Topped with 2 or 3 fig quarters and some of the syrupy juice.
The figs were perfectly ripe (at last!) and they lent themselves well to these tarts, being fragrant and juicy. The drizzle of thyme honey gave an intriguing Mediterranean top note and was the first taste encountered before biting into the cream tarts. The pastry was enhanced by the lemony zing which combined well with the sweet cream filling. All of the flavours married together extremely well and it was very hard to resist polishing them off at one sitting.
I tried making these fig white chocolate and mascarpone tarts last night… They were burnt, like bad. I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong? They also were dry. This is the first recipe I’ve ever had difficulty with. :-/
Hi Jill. I’m really sorry the tarts didn’t work out for you. Ovens vary so much, you really need to get to know your own to get the right temperature and length of cooking time. I expect they were dry because you overbaked them.
Your tartlets sound absolutely wonderful! I love that you roasted your figs with thyme honey. That sounds wonderful! And the white chocolate and mascarpone filling sound just amazing. I will definitely be giving this a try. Yum!
The tartlets without figs are awesome enough! Figs are like icing on the cake 🙂
Lovely tarts and a fine combination of flavours. If only foraging for white chocolate was a possibility.
Thank you and what a lovely idea Phil – foraging for any kind of chocolate would be wonderful indeed.
look amazing and delicious!!
Thanks Gloria
wow these look divine
Thanks Rebecca
Oh they are stunning Choclette. I haven’t baked much with mascarpone, its a bit of a luxury for me.
I’ve been foraging a little too, but namely blackberries, have spotted some apples and plums but not got my mitts on them. I am envious of your figs though – wow! I’ve made a cake recently with fresh figs too, but I won’t be sharing that until next month.
Mascarpone is a luxury Shaheen and full of fat too, but it is delicious. Haven’t the blackberries been magnificent this year? I’m hoping I’ll be able to gather some more before the season is over as having read so many crumble posts recently, I’m now desperate to make bramble and apple crumble.
Wow, another delicious recipe from you. The figs look so pretty and they look like the perfect little tarts x
Ahh, thank you, that’s very kind and a much appreciated comment 🙂
Mascarpone and figs – now that sounds so good! And the white chocolate – another layer of decadence… I’m Susan – I wish I had a field near me where I could go pick fresh figs!
Thanks JW, these are indeed decedent tarts, but oh so delicious. Picking the figs was a real pleasure.
now?
Sorry Dom, you’re just not trying hard enough 😉
is it working yet?
oh I love that you roasted the figs first… and with honey too, how gorgeous do these tarts look, so divine… I need them, I want them, I WILL have them!! (not by making them myself but by persuading you to bring them to me with the power of hypnosis…)
Yes roasting them worked brilliantly well and would make a fab dish all on their own warm from the oven. If you could teleport me up there with your power I would gladly bring you one to try!
Mmm! How I wish I could go to a nearby field and pick figs … alas! I can, however, re-create your crust! I have no experience working with spelt flour, but have just purchased a bag and think this crust is the start of a wonderful relationship. I do love making pies and tarts and am always looking for a new angle!
Well picking these figs was a first for me here in Cornwall and very exciting it was too. Hope you get on well with your spelt crust Susan.
Oh wow! This sounds absolutely divine! I bet a roasted peach slice or some cherries would be lovely if figs weren’t available.
Yes, roasted plums would be good too I think.
Oooooh! We don’t have any figs but I’m sure I could think of something else to put on the top. I am just working on my showstopper (that is, eating the remains). I think you’re going to like it!
Oh lots of fruit would work well with these. I ALWAYS like your entries Lucy and look forward to seeing what you came up with.
I love figs and this recipe seems to be so easy!
I never find making pastry easy Manu, but the rest is simple and the figs really make it.
Oh I love making pastry…if you use margarine instead of butter (or half and half) the dough turns out more elastic and easier to use