Fig and Ricotta Tart

Words can’t express the joy I feel when I’m roaming through the produce section and see the first fresh figs of the year lining the shelves. Out of all the Fall foods, I love figs the most. Aside from eating them wrapped in a slice of prosciutto, my favorite way to eat them is in tart form. Usually the tart I make has mascarpone and almond paste as a base. I thought this time I might try something new and made what I would consider more of a breakfast type tart, using ricotta and eggs instead. The result was delicious, but make no mistake, this is not the kind of thing you would serve for dessert. It would be wonderful on a brunch buffet or for breakfast with friends. It would also be a great addition to an Autumn bridal or baby shower.

Fig and Ricotta Tart

Crust Ingredients:

• 2 cups Flour(I used 1/2 Whole Wheat)
• 1 stick Unsalted Butter, cubed
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 5-7 Tbs Ice Water

Tart Ingredients:

• 8oz Fresh Figs, sliced
• 15oz Ricotta
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 1/2 cup Orange Marmalade, divided
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Salt

To make crust, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the dough comes together. Turn dough out on to the counter and form it into a disc. Cover the disc in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge while you make the filling.

Add ricotta, eggs, honey, 1/4 cup marmalade, vanilla, ginger, and salt to a bowl and whisk together until fairly smooth. Try not to over mix it or it will become too liquid-y.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll the dough out into a large circle that will fit into your tart pan. When the dough is rolled out, carefully lay it over the tart pan and the press it down into the sides and corners. If you don’t press the dough in well, it will shrink down the sides during the baking process. Trim off any excess dough and dock the bottom with a fork.

Pour the ricotta mixture into the tart pan and spread it out evenly. Arrange the sliced figs nicely on top of the ricotta. Melt the other half of the marmalade in the microwave for 30 seconds and then brush it on top of the tart.

Put the tart in the oven and bake it for 40 minutes. When the tart is done, let it cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the pan. Slice the tart and serve it up, maybe with a nice cup of tea or along side a bowl of squash soup.

Enjoy!