Fresh Fig, Mascarpone and Pesto Torte

[Guest guest]

Maureen - this is one of my favorite fig recipes. Hope you enjoy.

Chupa

 

 

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Fresh Fig, Mascarpone and Pesto Torte

For crust:

1 cup finely ground wheat crackers such as Wheat Thins

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted until golden, cooled, and ground fine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For filling:

1 1/4 pounds cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mascarpone or sour cream

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups homemade basil pesto or prepared basil pesto

2 pounds firm-ripe fresh figs (about 16 large),divided, 1 pound cut

into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1/2 cup fig preserves*

1 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

Accompaniment: baguettes cut diagonally into thin slices and toasted

lightly

 

 

 

 

 

Make crust:

Preheat oven to 325° F. and butter a 10-inch springform pan.

 

In a bowl with a fork stir together crust ingredients and salt and

pepper to taste. Press mixture into bottom of pan and bake in middle

of oven 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

 

Make filling:

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together filling ingredients and

salt and pepper to taste until very smooth.

 

Assemble torte:

Pour half of filling into crust. Drop dollops of pesto over filling

and spread carefully to form an even topping. (Some filling may show

through.) Top pesto layer with half of fig slices, overlapping them

slightly, and pour remaining filling over figs, spreading evenly. Bake

torte in middle of oven 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until top is golden

brown and set. Cool torte in pan on a rack (filling will deflate

slightly). Chill torte, covered loosely, at least 3 hours and up to 2

days.

 

In a small saucepan stir together preserves and vinegar and bring to a

simmer. Remove pan from heat and cool mixture. Stir in salt to taste.

 

Slice remaining pound figs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Run a thin

knife around edge of pan and remove side. Spread torte with preserves

mixture, leaving a 1/4-inch border, and top decoratively with

remaining fig slices. With 2 large metal spatulas transfer torte to a

serving plate.

 

Serve torte at room temperature to spread on toasts.

 

Serves 16 to 32 as an hors d'oeuvre.

 

Source: Gourmet, September 1996

Formatted by Chupa Babi in MC: 01.15.07

 

*available at some specialty foods shops

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