Fresh Fig Blueberry And Ricotta Tart Recipes

BLUEBERRY-RICOTTA TART

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together all-purpose flour, finely ground blanched almonds, toasted wheat germ, light brown sugar, kosher salt, and baking powder. Add cold, unsalted butter, and process until largest pieces are the size of small peas. With machine running, add low-fat buttermilk until dough just holds together. Pat into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour (or overnight).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9 1/2-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges flush with pan and prick holes in dough with fork. Freeze for 15 minutes. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and bake until golden brown and dry, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let cool.
• Puree part-skim ricotta with 1/4 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon honey. Spread into cooled shell. Stir 2 tablespoons honey gently into blueberries and arrange on top of tart. Chill for 2 hours.

FRESH FIG TART

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sea salt on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula and add confectioners' sugar. Combine with butter at low speed. Once incorporated, scrape down bowl and paddle. Add almond flour and vanilla extract and combine at low speed.
• Gradually add egg and a quarter of the flour (scant 1/2 cup or 55 grams). Beat at low speed until just incorporated. Scrape down bowl and paddle. Gradually add remaining flour and mix just until dough comes together, stopping from time to time to scrape in any mixture adhering to sides and bottom of bowl. Do not overbeat. Dough should be soft to the touch.
• Separate dough into two equal portions. Gently press each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Double-wrap airtight in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one dough portion for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight; chill or freeze the second portion for another use.
• Very lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. (You should not be able to see the butter.) On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 10 1/2-inch circle, 1/4 inch thick. Dust work surface and dough often, and work quickly so dough remains cold. Gently roll dough over lightly dusted rolling pin and transfer to pan, gently easing it in and trimming the top edge. Chill uncovered for at least 1 hour, preferably longer.
• Prepare the tart: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together almond flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and flour into a medium bowl.
• Place butter, salt and vanilla and almond extracts in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and beat 1 minute at medium speed. Scrape down bowl and paddle, and add almond flour mixture. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute, until incorporated. Stop, scrape down bowl and paddle, then turn on machine and gradually add egg. Add rum and beat at medium speed until egg and rum are incorporated.
• Remove tart shell from refrigerator and place on a baking sheet. Using a fork, pierce rows across surface of crust, about 1 inch apart. Scrape almond cream onto crust and, using a small offset or rubber spatula, spread evenly over crust.
• Place in oven and bake 40 minutes, until crust and almond cream are golden brown and the tip of a knife comes out clean when inserted into cream. Remove from oven and let cool for 40 minutes on a rack.
• Using a small spatula, spread fig jam over surface of tart in an even layer.
• Remove stems from figs. Cut small and medium figs into quarters, large figs into sixths or eights. Arrange in concentric circles, starting with the rim, with the stem end down. Slices should angle upwards. If not serving right away, refrigerate. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

HEALTHY BLUEBERRY-RICOTTA TARTLETS

Steps:

• Stir together the ricotta, lemon zest, vanilla and 1 tablespoon apricot jam in a small bowl.
• Toss together the blueberries with the remaining 1 teaspoon of apricot jam in another small bowl.
• Spoon the ricotta mixture into the phyllo cups. Top each with a few blueberries and nuts. The tartlets can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.

ROASTED FIGS WITH FRESH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the figs, cut side up, in a baking dish. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, and whisk in the honey, cinnamon and salt. Drizzle the hot honey butter over the figs and roast in oven until very soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Divide the fresh ricotta or fat free yogurt among 4 serving dishes and top with the warm figs and sauce. Enjoy!
• Cook's Note: These hot figs are really great over mixed greens or even on a toasted baguette as a crostini!

FRESH FIG AND RICOTTA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round springform pan, tapping out the excess flour.
• Place the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on medium low, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl and mixing until smooth. Add the ricotta, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest and mix until combined. Don't worry; the ricotta will make it look lumpy.
• In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter, mixing just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange the figs on the cake, cut sides up, in snug but not-overlapping concentric circles. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a baking rack for 15 to 20 minutes, transfer to a cake plate, and serve warm with crème fraîche on the side.

PHYLLO PASTRY WITH FRESH FIGS AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest and juice, almond extract and sugar. Stir well and set aside.
• Lay 1 sheet phyllo dough horizontally on a flat surface. Brush lightly with butter. Fold phyllo in half, left to right, and brush the top lightly with butter. Then fold phyllo in half, top to bottom, and brush the top lightly with butter again. Fold once more, left to right. You should have a 4-by-6-inch rectangle. Brush top with butter and trim edges. Repeat with remaining 5 sheets phyllo, using 2 tablespoons butter per pastry. Lay pastry packages on a parchment-lined baking sheet and heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Spread each pastry package with a generous tablespoon of ricotta filling. Snip stems from figs and open them into star shapes by cutting from stem end in quarters, nearly to the bottom of the fig. Top each pastry package with 2 figs. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each package.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chopped almonds and drizzle lightly with honey. Serve at room temperature. If desired, cut pastries in half to make 12 small servings.

FRESH FIG, BLUEBERRY, AND RICOTTA TART

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and, if using store/previously prepared pie crust, ensure that one sheet is thawed.
• In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, the juice and zest of one lemon, the yolk of the egg (reserve the white for later), the salt, and 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Set this mix aside.
• In another small bowl, sprinkle the blueberries with an additional tablespoon of sugar. Spread out your halved figs and likewise sprinkle them with about a tablespoon of sugar.
• Now you're ready to assemble your tart. On a greased sheet pan, unroll your crust to form a rough oval or circle. Spread this with the ricotta mixture, leaving at a 1-1.5 inch border around the edge (you'll be folding up the tart). Sprinkle half of the blueberries over the ricotta, then distribute your figs evenly, then sprinkle the other half of the blueberries. Fold up the edges of the tart just to cover the sides. I like to fold in on the left and right, form corners, then fold up the top and bottom. But this is rustic--fold gently however you like so that the cheese and berries won't leak onto the pan.
• Find your reserved egg white, mix it with a tablespoon of water or milk, and brush the sides of the tart. Sprinkle this with the final tablespoon of sugar, and bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown and the berries are beginning to bubble.