Fig Tarts with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Fig tartlets golden brown from the oven.

5 from 1 vote

A classic combinaton of figs and blue cheese here with walnuts adding interest. Perfect to serve with Port or serve the same red wine you used in the recipe if you switched the Port in the filling for red wine.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: mini tarts

Calories: 90kcal

Author: Carolyn Hetke

Ingredients

16 mini tart shells frozen
½ cup dried figs minced, See Notes
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 Tbsps butter
2 Tbsps Port or robust red wne
3 oz mild creamy blue cheese like Cambazola or Gorgonzola, crumbled

Candied Walnuts

½ cup walnuts finely minced
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Candied Walnuts

Melt Butter and sugar in a non stick pan. Sprinkle the salt and cinnamon over the walnut pieces and stir up. Add the walnuts to the melted butter and sugar and stir with a wooden spoon. When sugar is fully melted and walnuts are coated slide the mixture out on to a piece of parchment paper.
Spread the nuts in one layer with the wooden spoon and separate as much as you can. As nuts cool and the coating gets stiffer take the wooden spoon to break apart any clumps or clusters.
Allow nuts to cool fully.

Fig Tarts

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake the unfilled tart shells from frozen about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, dissolve sugar and water in small saucepan. Add the butter and when melted add the minced figs.
Allow mixture to cook over medium heat a few minutes until fig pieces just start to soften. Add the Port and allow mixture to bubble and reduce. When the sauce is thick like a glaze on the figs remove from heat.
Distribute fig mixture evenly among hot tart shells. Evenly divide blue cheese and candied walnut pieces over the tarts. Return to oven and bake another 4-5 minutes till cheese is melted and tarts are golden brown on edges.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tarts will keep a few days in the fridge and can be reheated gently. Tarts also freeze well and can be reheated gently from frozen.

Notes

Alternatively you can make approximately 8 regular size tarts.

Nutrition is based on 16 mini tarts.

You could substitute fig jam for the fig reduction. Add the port wine to the fig jam and heat gently to thickened to a thick jam consistency.

Nutrition