Honey Pecan Tart with Red Wine Fig Jam

This dessert is possibly the best dessert I have ever eaten!!! It kind of tastes like a fig newton, but about a million times better.  One person I served it to, said it was the best thing they had ever put in their mouth!! They were not kidding.  People please make this dessert-you won’t be disappointed.  I am so sorry I did not take more pictures of the process and finished product, but I was in a hurry when I made it and did not realize at the time that I would love it as much as I did! Next time I make it (which will be soon) I will try to take more pictures and add them to the blog. I adapted the recipe from a recipe I got from Ellerbe’s Restaurant of Fort Worth, Texas.  I did make a few small tweaks and changes. 

Honey Pecan Tart with Red Wine Fig Jam

Tart Shell:

-3/4 cup Ground Pecans (I ground mine in the bowl of a food processor)

-1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

-1 stick Butter, melted

-pinch of Kosher Salt

-2 Tbsp. Sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, combine the ground pecans, graham cracker crumbs, salt and sugar.  Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir to incorporate.  Gently press the crust into a 9-11 inch tart shell with a removable bottom.  Place tart shell on baking sheet that has been covered with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely. (Let cool for about 5 minutes then press the crust down with the back of a spoon)

Filling:

-1/2 cup Butter

-1/2 cup Brown Sugar

-1/2 cup Honey

-4 Egg Yolks

-1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

-2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour

-pinch Kosher Salt

-1 cup Heavy Cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Cream the butter, honey and sugar together with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.  Add the egg yolks one at a time until incorporated.  Mix in the flour, salt and cinnamon.  Stir in the heavy cream.  Pour the filling into the tart shell and bake for 30-50 minutes until the middle of the tart is puffed up and set. (I realize this is a very wide time frame, but the original directions said 30 minutes, when I baked mine, it took nearly an hour.) Cool completely in the refrigerator.  It puffs way up when baking, but then once it cools, it sinks back down allowing room for the fig jam layer.

Red Wine Fig Jam:

-2 cups Dried Figs (not tightly packed)

-1 cup water

-1 and ½ cups Red Wine

-1/4-1/2 cup Sugar (depending on your tastes)

-Pinch of Kosher Salt

Place all ingredients into a small sauce pot.  Cook over medium heat until about ¾ cup liquid is remaining.  Let cool slightly and then transfer to the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.  If your mixture is too thick add a small amount of water.  Spread ¾ cup to 1 cup of the jam over the top of the chilled tart so that there is about a ¼ inch layer of jam on the top. 

To serve: 

-6-8 ripe Mission Figs

Cut figs into quarters and place quarters around outer perimeter of tart and serve!