It would be a shame to let fig season fly by without taking full advantage of the sweet, sticky fruit. Here they are paired with a lemon-scented cheesecake-yogurt cream, and a toasted walnut crust for a delicious and adorable personal dessert.
Mini cheesecake tarts with fresh figs
for the crust
- ½ cup (50 g) walnuts, lightly toasted
- 1 ½ cup (150 g) graham cracker crumbs
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon (20 g) butter, melted
for the filling
- 7 ounces (200 g) cream cheese, softened to room temp
- scant ½ cup (100 g) greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons (50 g) honey (plus more for decorating)
- 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon freshly-grated lemon zest
- 6 ripe, fresh figs, washed and quartered
For 6 tarts
For the crust: Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Butter and lightly flour a 6-hole muffin pan.
Coarsely chop walnuts in a food processor. Add graham cracker crumbs and process until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the crumb mixture and butter; toss to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of each muffin mould, using your fingertips or the back of a small spoon to smooth and compact the crust. Bake in preheated oven until dry and slightly darker around the edges, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes, then carefully remove each crust from the pan using a sharp knife.
For the filling: Beat cream cheese, greek yogurt and honey in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar and lemon zest and mix well. Spoon the filling evenly into each muffin crust, being careful not to break them. Chill for at least 1 hour to firm up. Shortly before serving arrange quartered figs on the filling, pressing lightly so they set in. Drizzle the figs with a bit of honey. Serve chilled.
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