Fig And Walnut Crostata Food

SIMPLE FIG AND WALNUT TART

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the bottom position of the oven, put a baking stone or baking sheet on it and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line another baking sheet with parchment.
• Dust a work surface with flour, and roll the puff pastry sheet out into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle. Transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet. Measure a half-inch border around it, and lightly score the border with a knife (don't cut all the way through). Prick the pastry inside the border all over with a fork (don't prick the border). Brush the pastry all over with the egg, put the baking sheet with the pastry on it on top of the preheated baking stone, and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. If you find that the pastry has puffed up in some places, use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to press it down. Let the pastry cool completely on the baking sheet. (The cooled pastry can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for 1 day.)
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and a large pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and deeply golden, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar, and stir until it has been completely absorbed. Remove the skillet from the heat, and let the caramelized onions cool completely. (They can be refrigerated for 1 day.)
• Scatter the fontina all over the pastry within the border. Top with the caramelized onions, figs and walnuts. Sprinkle the whole tart with the feta, thyme and some salt and pepper. Drizzle all over with oil.
• Return the tart on the baking sheet to the oven, putting it on the preheated baking stone. Bake until the fontina melts, 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle generously with honey, and let cool for a few minutes. Cut into 16 squares, and serve.

FIG AND PROSCIUTTO CROSTATA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the pie crust onto a baking sheet. Spread the cream cheese over the crust leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with the citrus herb seasoning. Top with fig preserves. Fold border over fig spread and top with prosciutto strips.
• Lightly beat egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush to brush edge of crust with egg wash. Bake in oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

SAVORY CROSTATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat an oven-proof 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onions and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are a dark golden-brown, about 15 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir in the balsamic and sprinkle the oregano over the top. Turn off the heat and spread the onions evenly over the bottom of the pan, using a rubber spatula.
• Place the ricotta in a small bowl. Season with 1/8 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper. Dollop the ricotta over the onions in 8 to 10 places. Using a fork, prick the puff pasty a few times evenly. Place the puff pastry over the top of the filling, pressing down gently to make sure the dough is touching the ricotta and onions.
• Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with a plate slightly larger than the skillet. Invert the crostata onto the plate, replacing any onions that may have stuck to the pan. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dress the arugula with the lemon juice. Sprinkle the arugula over the cooled crostata and nestle the tomatoes into the onions. Slice into wedges or squares and serve.

FIG AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, gradually add the water until moist clumps form. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and form into a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for 1 hour.
• In a clean food processor bowl, combine remaining sugar, almond paste, mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, and honey. Blend until smooth.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a large, heavy baking sheet. Spread the almond filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Arrange the figs on top of the almond filling. Spoon the jam over the figs. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, pleating the crust loosely and pinching to seal any cracks in the dough.
• Bake the tart until the crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the tart from the parchment. Transfer the tart to a platter and serve.
• Cook's Note: To reconstitute dried figs, simmer in water for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool completely. Strain before using.

RUSTIC BLUEBERRY AND FIG CROSTATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll pie crust out on a floured work surface to about 10 inches. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Combine blueberries, flour, sugar, tarragon, lemon zest and juice, and almond extract in a medium bowl. Mix well.
• Spoon blueberry mixture into the center of the pie crust, leaving about a 2-inch border. Place fig slices in the center in a circular pattern. Fold crust up all around the edge of the blueberries, crimping and pinching to create pleats.
• Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush edges of crust with mixture and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is crispy and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool and set, 15 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FIG & WALNUT SLICE

Steps:

• Pulse the almonds in a food processor until most are finely chopped. Remove and transfer to a bowl. Whizz the figs until they form a sticky paste, then add this to the almonds with the remaining ingredients. Mix well, then shape into a sausage and allow to dry, uncovered, in the fridge or a cool, dry place for a week.
• Wrap and tie in baking parchment if giving away, then slice and serve alongside your favourite cheeses. Will keep in a cool place for up to 2 months.

BAKED APPLES STUFFED WITH FIGS AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°; lightly butter a 13x9 inch baking dish.
• Core apples; using a vegetable peeler, remove a 1-inch wide strip around the top of each apple; place the apples in the prepared baking dish.
• Lightly brush a food processor bowl and blade with the vegetable oil and finely chop the figs and walnuts.
• Add in the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon; process until blended; transfer the mixture to a small bowl.
• Stuff the cored apples tightly with the fig mixture, mounding any extra on top of the apples.
• Bake the apples, basting them occasionally, with any juices that form, until tender when pierced with a metal or wooden skewer, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Serve warm, either plain or with heavy cream.

FIG AND WALNUT CROSTATA

Steps:

• 1 In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, walnuts, and salt. With a pastry blender or a fork, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork. Scoop up some of the mixture with your hand and rapidly squeeze it until it holds together. Repeat with the rest of the mixture until it can be formed into a ball. If the mixture seems too dry and crumbly, add a teaspoon or so of cold water. Gather the dough into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour up to overnight. 2 Let the dough soften briefly at room temperature. Place the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll it out to form a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. 3 When the dough is ready, remove the top sheet of plastic wrap. Using the remaining sheet to lift the dough, center the dough in a 9- to 10-inch tart pan, with the plastic-covered side up. Peel off the plastic wrap. Gently press the dough into the base of the pan and along the sides. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan and trim off the overhanging dough. Gently press the dough against the sides of the pan to create a rim higher than the edge of the pan. Refrigerate the pastry shell 30 minutes. 4 Place the rack in the lowest third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter a sheet of aluminum foil. Fit the foil buttered-side down against the pastry. Bake the shell on the lowest rack of the oven 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly golden. 5 While the shell is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and flour. Stir in the cream, egg, and vanilla until smooth. 6 Remove the stems of the figs and cut them in half from stem end to blossom end. 7 Remove the tart shell from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Reduce the oven heat to 375°F. Remove the foil. If the pastry has puffed up, flatten it gently with spoon. Arrange the fig halves cut-side up in the shell. Whisk the cream filling again and drizzle it over the figs. 8 Place the tart in the oven and bake 50 minutes or until the cream is set. 9 Cool the tart on a wire rack 10 minutes Remove the pan rim and let cool completely. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving. Store covered with a large inverted bowl at room temperature up to 24 hours. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FRESH FIG AND ALMOND CROSTATA

Steps:

• Make dough: In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, gradually add up to 2 tablespoons more water). Do not overmix. Flatten dough into a disk; wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days).
• Make filling: In food processor, combine almonds and sugar; process until finely ground. Add 1 egg, butter, flour, vanilla, and salt; pulse until smooth, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine figs and lemon juice; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a large lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough to a 14-inch round. Spread almond filling in center, leaving a 2-inch border; top with fig mixture. Fold border over edge of filling, pleating all around; press down gently to seal. In a small bowl, mix remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water; brush dough with egg wash.
• Lifting edges of parchment, transfer crostata to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool on baking sheet at least 30 minutes. To serve, cut crostata into wedges.

MARSALA AND FIG CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the filling:
• Combine all ingredients in heavy large saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Cover and simmer until figs are very tender, about 1 hour.
• Uncover and simmer until liquid reduces slightly, about 8 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Cool slightly. Refrigerate until cool, stirring occasionally (mixture will be thick), about 45 minutes.
• Discard cinnamon sticks. Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• For the crust:
• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Mix flour, sugar, fennel seeds, and salt in processor. Add butter and 1 egg. Using on/off turns, process until dough forms.
• Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk.
• Wrap 1 disk in plastic wrap; refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Press remaining dough disk onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
• Pierce bottom all over with fork.
• Chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• Roll out chilled dough disk on waxed paper to 12-inch round.
• Transfer dough on waxed paper to rimless baking sheet.
• Cut dough into twelve 3/4-inch-wide strips.
• Chill strips while filling tart. Spread filling evenly in crust.
• Place 6 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Place remaining 6 strips diagonally atop first 6 strips, forming diamond lattice pattern. Press ends of strips against edge of tart pan to trim.
• Whisk remaining egg in small bowl to blend; brush over lattice.
• Bake tart until juices bubble thickly around edges and crust is deep golden, about 55 minutes.
• Cool on rack 1 hour. Using small knife, gently loosen tart from pan sides. Remove sides.
• Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with ice cream. Serves 8.
• That's it!