A layer of walnut cream is topped by juicy figs, all encased by a graham cracker homemade crust. A delicious dessert pie to showcase the best of this summer fruit.
I made this tart for my mother. She's mad about fresh figs (I wonder where I got that from) and every year makes me the most wonderful fig jam ever. Just like her mother taught her.
It is a simple pie although it might look like a laborious recipe. Because each component can be made in advance.
Are you familiar with figs?
They are shaped like a small punching bag, brownish-purple outside (quite unappetizing if you ask me) and reddish inside, with a center of seeds. They have a very unique flavor and I think it's a love or hate situation. Like eggplant.
In my opinion, they are better baked unless they are super and perfectly ripe, which is not easy. Like any summer fruit with a short season, finding extraordinary figs can be quite a challenge.
Baking with them is the second-best option. And the results are amazing.
What type of dough should we use?
After making graham crackers for the first time, I now keep the dough frozen at all times. Or as cookies in a tin. The flavor is one to beat. It's the perfect one for cheesecakes and also for this fresh fig and walnut pie.
So you can use a graham cracker cookie crust, like the one we love for traditional cheesecakes or a vanilla cookie crust like the key lime pie.
Or use a sweet pie crust or shortcrust pastry.
So the dough is pre-baked, then a thick layer of walnut cream is added, and finally the majestic green and red figs are artfully (ha!) placed atop before going into the oven.
What comes out is a bunch of less vibrant fruit, but with that unmistakable smoky flavor of baked figs, the cookie crunchiness of the graham cracker dough and the creamy walnuts.
What is walnut cream?
Similar to frangipane but made with walnuts instead of almonds.
It is a mixture used a lot in french tarts, especially those with fruits. It bakes into a soft, spongy layer and adds a lot of flavor to the pie.
I finish each slice with a drizzle of sweet honey.
This is a good pie people.
Other recipes you might like:
Fresh Fig and Walnut Pie
Pear Frangipane Tart
Apricot Raspberry Tart
The Best Lemon Ricotta Pie
Sweet Potato Gingersnap Pie
Margarita Lime Pie
Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it.
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Fresh Fig Walnut Pie
- Prep Time: 40
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Description
A layer of walnut cream is topped by juicy figs, all encased by a graham cracker homemade crust. A delicious dessert pie to showcase the best of this summer fruit.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- ½ recipe graham cracker dough
- Or make a graham cracker cookie crust (with store-bought cookies)
For the walnut cream:
- 1 ½ cups walnut paste, at room temperature, see recipe
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 4 teaspoons flour
For the assembly:
- 9 or 10 fresh figs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 or 3 tablespoons honey
Instructions
For the crust:
- On a lightly floured surface, roll graham cracker dough about ¼ inch or less, to fit a 9-inch round pie plate. The dough might not roll in one neat piece like regular dough does; don't worry, just do it in pieces and patch it in the mold. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350º about 15 minutes before baking.
- Cover cold pie dough with a piece of aluminum foil, fill it with some kind of weight, I used lentils but you can use beans or ceramic marbles.
- Bake for 15 or 20 minutes, carefully lift the aluminum foil with the weight, and bake for another 10 minutes or so, until the dough is dry and lightly colored. Let cool on wire rack. Keep the oven on.
For the walnut cream:
- In a bowl with a sturdy hand mixer or an electric one, mix walnut paste with butter.
- Add egg and egg yolk and then flour. Mix well but just to blend all ingredients completely.
For the assembly:
- Wash, dry and cut figs in half.
- Pur walnut cream evenly over pie dough, and arrange the half pieces of figs on top.Sprinkle with the sugar and bake for about 30 minutes, until figs are beginning to soften and walnut cream is puffy.
- Let cool on wire rack, unmold onto serving plate and drizzle with honey before serving.
Notes
Frangipane: you can use almond cream instead of walnut if you like.
Pie crust: use a regular sweet pie crust or a cookie crust.
Keywords: fresh fig pie, fig walnut pie
A beautiful post and a beautiful mom! I absolutely love your fresh fig and walnut pie. I would love to take a bite but I do not want to ruin your beautiful photography photos. Have a super weekend. BAM
Such a lovely post, Paula! A wonderful tribute to your beautiful mother….you resemble her quite a bit!
You know how I feel about figs…I will definitely be making this! I can’t wait till the fresh figs are in the market! Have a wonderful day!
What a post Paula. So glad you didn't lose all the photos in the flood. What memories that must have gone though your head when you were writing this post. It's a lovely tribute and one that will be cherished by your family for sure.
Your pie is stunning. It is the most beautiful fig pie I've ever seen. You have such talent.
Paula, I loved reading about your Mom! She's beautiful, just like you. This fig pie looks like the perfect treat for her.
What an incredible pie! I know my fig-loving husband would go ga-ga for it!
That looks luscious and is stunningly gorgeous! Great recipe for #SundaySupper!
I really enjoyed all of the photos of you and your mom. That pie looks incredible, especially those fresh figs!
Paula - this is one of my favorite posts of yours - so personal, honest and caring. You and your mother do look so much alike and you are both so beautiful! Happy Mother's Day to her, and happy Thankful Daughter's Day to you! The tart looks amazing - I can't wait until our tree gives us some ripe figs so that we can make this! ~ David
This is so lovely. I've never baked with figs before but they're just so beautiful and tasty, I really need to start! Also walnut cream sounds like the most incredible thing ever. Your mom is so beautiful...just like this tart!
Okay your dish is absolutely gorgeous and your mom is so unbelievably beautiful. Loved all the family photos.