Mmmmm, for those of us who love fresh figs, this is a gem! The crust has a cookie quality to it -- not too sweet -- that embraces the cream cheese filling, which compliments the fresh figs. Then there's the chocolate drizzle, which brings it all together for an easy early fall treat.

Fresh Fig Tart

Prep Time: 10 minutes for crust, plus chilling/baking, 15 minutes for filling
Baking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 10
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Ingredients

9” tart pan, lightly buttered

Crust

6 T. cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 ¼ c. flour

½ c. walnut meal, very fine (takes 2/3 to ¾ c. walnut pieces to begin with)

2 T. sugar

¼ t. salt

1 egg, divided

½ t. vanilla

2 1/2 – 3 T. ice water

Filling

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 t. vanilla

4 oz. high quality fig preserves

Topping

12-15 fresh ripe purple figs, washed and dried, stems removed

3 T. high quality dark chocolate, melted*

Directions

For the crust:

1. Mix flour, sugar, salt and walnut meal in food processor. Cut in butter.

2. Separate egg and set white aside. Blend yolk, vanilla and 2 ½ T. ice water.

3. Toss liquids with dry ingredients or pulse in processor to make soft dough. Add last ½ T. ice water if needed. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Roll to 1/8” thickness on floured board, transfer to buttered tart pan. Fit, trim. Chill 10 minutes while oven heats to 375°. Place a flat cookie sheet in oven to preheat (rack set at 1/3 up from bottom).

5. Prick chilled crust, then bake 12-16 minutes til golden.

6. Meanwhile, whisk egg white til frothy. When crust is done baking, brush inside lightly with egg white, then set aside to cool.

For filling:

1. Whisk the cream cheese until smooth, then whisk in the fig preserves and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

2. Shortly before serving, spread evenly into cooled tart crust.

For topping:

Quarter or slice figs into circles.

Just before serving, arrange fig quarters or slices in circles on top of filling.

Drizzle with melted chocolate, just enough to give each piece of fruit a little taste.

*If need be, thin with 1/2 t. – 1 t. vegetable shortening melted in with chocolate so that it’s of an easy consistency to drizzle.