Feathered Fig Tart with Mascarpone and Honey

I love to pair figs and cheese. Nothing beats that sweet and savory combination. I used mascarpone and a bit of cream cheese for the filling. I made one tart prior to this with goat cheese that my family deemed too strong. When they have specific criticism like that, I take it pretty seriously, considering 99% of the time, they’ve inhaled my desserts before they can properly assess for flavor, taste, texture, which I’m doing constantly throughout the baking process and after I’ve served it. I swapped for mascarpone and am very happy with the results.

The crust is my homemade graham crust, re-worked slightly to fit the 9″ tart pan. I love the warmth that it brings. It makes the tart feel very fall-like and cozy. For the first tart attempt, I did a traditional sablee crust and I liked that too. It was more subtle and the tart had a cleaner, brighter taste. Honestly, I could go either way.

To pair with the cheeses, I used mostly honey, but with just a bit of granulated sugar to achieve the sweetness level I wanted. I also drizzled some of the honey over the fresh figs, followed by a sprinkle of finishing salt.

Feathered Fig Tart with Mascarpone and Honey
1 9″ tart, serves 8

Ingredients:

Graham Crust:
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup graham flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey

Filling: (all room temperature)
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
3 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Topping:
14 large fresh figs, quartered lengthwise
honey for drizzling
flake salt

Directions:

For the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse the flours, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt until combined. Add the butter and honey and pulse until incorporated and crumbs are moist. Press evenly into the base and 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a rack to cool. Meanwhile prepare the filling.

For the filling:

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature, so you’ll have a super smooth mixture. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the two cheeses and beat until creamy and smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the lemon juice, honey, sugar and salt and beat until well combined.

Spread the filling evenly into the cooled crust. Place tart in the refrigerator until the filling has set, about 1 hour.

Remove the tart from the refrigerator and place the fig quarters one by one in rows. Drizzle honey on top. Sprinkle with flake salt. You can watch the how-to on my Instagram here!

The tart is best served immediately. If you have leftovers, it will keep for up to 12 hours in the refrigerator after assembly. The crust holds up well and shouldn’t get soggy in that time frame.

If you make this tart, I’d love to see it! Tag me @pastrywithjenn.