Now that figs are in season, I cannot resist sharing one of my favorite tart recipes.

I found this recipe almost 10 years ago in an Elle Magazine recipe card.

And I must tell you that these little tarts are a favorite at my “end of the summer” parties every year. I think they would be great for a late summer engagement party or brunch.

Ingredients

• Seven (7) ounces of puff pastry, cold
• Two and one-fourth (2¼) pounds of ripe figs (green or black)
• One and one-fourth (1¼) cups of sifted confectioners’ (or powdered) sugar
• One-fourth (¼) teaspoon of cinnamon

Recipe

1. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the cold pastry into a 7” x 10” rectangle (approximately ⅛” thick).
2. Divide the pastry into six rounds and use one round to line each of the six 3” tartlet pans.
3. Place the pans on the baking sheet and refrigerate for one hour.
4. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 475° F.
5. Rinse and peel the figs.
6. Mash the pulp together with the sugar and cinnamon until it is smooth and well combined.
7. Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator.
8. Fill each pastry shell with an equal portion of the fig mixture.
9. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

By the way, you can probably purchase the little pastry shells at the grocery store (instead of making them yourself). There’s no need to wear yourself out!

Love & Soul Always, Kawania

A little background information about figs: This mildly sweet fruit is believed to be indigenous to western Asia and to have been distributed by man throughout the Mediterranean area. Remnants of figs have been found in excavations of sites that trace back to at least 5,000 B.C.