Next up in our 12 Tastes of Christmas series is a super seasonal and drop-dead-gorgeous tart from Katie Meyers, the irresistibly sweet blogger behind Meyers Styles. Katie somehow managed to shoot and recipe test this lovely creation in the midst of brand new mommy-hood… Baby Maggie was born less than a month ago! Big congrats to you and the family, Katie… now tell us all about this luscious fig tart!
The meal that I most look forward to each year is hands-down our Christmas Eve dinner where my entire family gathers around the table to indulge in some of our most beloved recipes. We light a cozy roaring fire, crank up the Christmas music, crack open a special bottle of red wine and open an early present or two. As a brand new mom, this year’s Christmas Eve has become especially important as I introduce my daughter to our annual traditions, hopefully keeping the rituals alive for years to come. My mom fills our dinner table with the perfect balance of creative new items and classic family recipes that have been passed down for generations: my grandma’s cranberry salad, hearty winter soups, and tangy apricot tarts. The past few years, my sweet tooth has made me the obvious choice for making a dessert (or, two or three… you’ve got to have options, after all!) and this year I’ll be making this tasty glazed fig and walnut tart. I can’t wait to enjoy a sweet treat along with a pear fizz cocktail and toast to the festive holiday season with my family!
Anyone else have other favorite must-try desserts that we should add to our Christmas Eve menu?
Fig & Walnut Tart
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 large egg yolk
*To save yourself time, grab a store-bought pie crust instead, which is equally delicious! Simply cut and fit inside your tart pan.
Filling:
- 8-10 ripe figs, de-stemmed and quartered (keep one fig in tact for decorating)
- 8 oz mascarpone or cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/8 cup honey
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- Cinnamon sugar mixture (3 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon
- cinnamon)
- 1/4 chopped and toasted walnuts
- 1/8 cup caramel sauce or honey (whichever you prefer)
Instructions:
Crust:
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy for three minutes. Add salt and flour, mix on low speed until fully incorporated, about one minute. Add egg yolk while mixing on low speed until dough comes together, about 30 seconds. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Remove from refrigerator, let soften until pliable. Flour your work surface and sprinkle top of dough with a bit of flour. With rolling pin, flatten dough to 1/4 inch thick to fit tart pan. (I used a 12×8 inch pan.) Place in tart pan with removable bottom, pressing dough up the sides. Patch up any holes by pressing dough with fingers. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Bake at 350* for about 30 minutes, then let cool.
- Make the filling: Cut figs into sixths. (Save one fig with stem in tact to decorate center of tart.)
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, whip up mascarpone and/or cream cheese. Add in 1/8 cup of honey, yogurt, and vanilla until creamy.
- Spread cream cheese mixture on top of cooled tart shell and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Top with figs and walnuts, and leave in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Right before serving, drizzle with 1/8 cup of honey or caramel sauce. (And, if you want an extra dash of tang, lightly pour a bit of Camille’s balsamic reduction on top!)
