Name: Fig, Apple, And Walnut Tarts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup walnuts; 1 cup AP Flour; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 6 tablespoons butter (cold and diced); 1 large egg yolk; 1 tablespoon heavy cream; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; ⅓ cup AP Flour; ⅓ cup walnuts; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/3 cup brown sugar; 3 tablespoons butter (cold and diced); pinch fine sea salt; 1/2 pound figs (stems removed and chopped); 1/2 pound tart apples (peeled, cored, and chopped); 1 tablespoon coconut oil; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar; 1/4 cup fresh orange juice; 1 teaspoon orange zest; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Jump to Recipe

Buttery, crumbly, and crisp walnut shortbread crust encases a jammy fig and apple filling. Then these Fig Apple Walnut tarts are topped with a cinnamon, brown sugar, and walnut crumb. These warm and flavorful fall tarts are a pastry lovers dream.

I have to confess that I’ve never been the biggest lover of figs. However, I still buy little baskets of them every year in an attempt to change that. And every year I decide, perhaps next year.

But this year something magical happened. After spending the summer playing around with homemade spice mixes, compotes, and reductions, I had an idea. I knew if I made a sticky and rich fruit compote that played against a crumbly and buttery walnut pastry, I would finally have a fig winner on my hands. And I do! These Fig, Apple, and Walnut tarts are lovely and perfect for eating those cold weather blues away!

The following recipe and instructions will make four 4 inch tarts. The recipe can also be converted to make one large tart or even smaller tartlets. See recipe notes for baking time adjustments.

*This post may contain Amazon affiliate links at no cost to you. I do receive a small commission through purchases from this post. Thank you for supporting my blog! For more info, please see the site Disclaimer.

2 Year Blogiversary of Ritzy Mom!

Here is where I ramble, so feel free to:

Jump to Recipe

It takes a village to keep a blog going! In fact, I forgot the two year anniversary of Ritzy Mom. But thank you to Dawn from CT for sending me such a sweet note on my Buttermilk Biscuits and for reminding me that I didn’t post a two year update. I started this blog over two years ago, in July of 2017. And so much has happened since last year.

If you’re a local St Louis reader, you know that I have appeared on many Show Me St. Louis “Recipe of The Day” Segments. I have also had a few of my photos like, Tropical Popsicles, Maple Bacon Donuts, Pumpkin Donuts, to name some, featured on the Today Show’s Instgram Food page. So it has been a fun past year and there has been tons of growth to this blog. Thanks for being a part of this fun food community!

One of the questions I often get asked is what inspires me to develop recipes for this blog. There are so many aspects of my life and passions that show through my recipes. Of course you have seen the sarcastic and playful side that I save for being a fool on YouTube. And I also love getting recipe requests from readers of this blog, so keep those coming!

But I truly love studying the art form that goes behind pastry bakes. If you are part of my Instagram, you will see that I post many French inspired bakes that I don’t often post on the blog. But as I told you in my Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies, now I have time on my hands with the kids in school, so I plan on using that time in the kitchen. And if you would like to see recipe videos relating to the more serious bakes, like these cinnamon kissed fig tarts, just let me know.

One of my favorite baking bibles is by Le Cordon Bleu. This book is where I first learned about and dived into all of the delicate and incredible forms of pastries. I have been baking my way through the book, along with many other pastry books, for the last year. Now I feel so ready to bring you French inspired, elegant recipes like these sophisticated tarts!

Walnut Crust

These individual fig, apple, walnut tarts begin with a walnut pastry crust. The walnut crust for these tarts is a cross between a Breton shortbread and the crust I use in my Cherry Frangipane. This crust is nutty, crumbly, buttery, and crisp.

To make the walnut crust, you will need a food processor. First, blitz up your walnuts until they are coarsely ground. Then add in the flour, pinch of salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Pulse it a few times to combine before adding diced up and very cold butter. Pulse until it resembles pebbles before adding the egg yolk and heavy cream. Then pulse a couple more times before dumping the mixture onto a piece of parchment paper. Use your hands to gently knead it together into a dough disc and flatten. Don’t overwork the dough, so finishing off with your hands helps to prevent too much mixing.

Cover with a second piece of parchment and use a rolling pin to push it even flatter. Then chill it for about 15 minutes, just so it becomes easier to press into your tart shells.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into 4 and roll each out into a 5 inch circle. Place each over a tart pan and press in. Use your fingers to push it against the bottom and the sides. If the dough breaks that is ok. Just use your fingers to fix any cracks and patch it up.

Put the tart pans onto a baking sheet. Gently prick the bottom of each crust , but do not pierce through to the bottom. Bake 10-14 minutes. Then set aside.

Walnut Crumble Topping

These tarts have a cinnamon brown sugar and walnut laden topping that adds a crackly, sweet, and crunchy top to each tart.

Either chop up or use your food processor to coarsely chop walnuts into small pieces. Then add to a mixing bowl with flour, brown sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon. Mix it up and then cut in cold butter with a pastry blender. This will also help to break down any larger pieces of walnuts. Then set this topping in the fridge until ready to use.

Fig and Apple Jam Filling

While the walnut crust of these fig, apple, walnut tarts is chilling and baking, work on your filling. This sticky compote will not only fill your home with the the most inviting fragrance, it tastes like a dream! This filling is made up of fresh figs and apples, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, and sweet vanilla notes. Feel free to add a drizzle of dark rum in there for even more depth!

First, wash and stem the fresh figs. Then cut them into chunks and place them into a saucepan. Then core up some tart apples like honeycrisp or granny smith. To read more on different apples for pies and tarts, check out my spiced apple pie post. Add the sugars, coconut oil, cinnamon, orange juice, and zest and give it a stir to coat.

Then put your pan on medium high heat until the fruit begins bubbling and releasing all juices. The fruit compote will have a lot of liquid at first, and once this happens, reduce the heat to medium and begin mashing the fruit. The fruit will begin reabsorbing all of that flavorful liquid and turn into a sticky and fragrant compote. Allow it to cook until it has absorbed all of the liquid, about 15 minutes. the fruit will be pulp and all of the figs will have broken down.

Then remove from the heat and add vanilla. If you want to add a little rum, this would be the time. Or try a touch of rosemary for an herby twist on these fig, apple, walnut tarts. Then put it into a blender or clean food processor and blend to a puree. Or feel free to use an immersion blender if you have one.

By the time the filling is ready, the tart crust will be pre-baked and ready for it. Scoop out equal portions into each of the tart shells and smooth down. Then top with the walnut topping bake for another 20 minutes.

Then allow these fig, apple, walnut tarts to cool until ready to devour. I love when you send me notes and pics. If you make these, please share your photo with me on Instagram with @ritzymomblog for a chance to be featured on my stories or feed!