Vegan Lemon Mascarpone Fig Tart with Rosemary Crust
An easy, show-stopper vegan dessert with fresh ripe figs, creamy lemony mascarpone filling and a savory rosemary cornmeal crust.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Scale
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (80 grams) yellow cornmeal*
- 1 tablespoon raw turbinado sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoon (140 grams) vegan butter*
- 1 ½ tablespoons de-stemmed and finely chopped rosemary
- 3 to 4 tablespoons water
Filling:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) vegan cream cheese*
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) coconut cream from a can of full-fat coconut milk (chilled overnight)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Grated zest of one lemon
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) fresh, ripe figs, cut into thin slices or quartered into wedges
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Add in the vegan butter and the chopped rosemary, and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, with some pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle in the ice water and pulse again until the mixture holds together when squeezed between your fingers, adding additional water if needed. Press the dough evenly into a 11 x 8 x 1 inch rectangular pan or a 10-inch fluted round tart pan. Take a rolling pin and roll it over the top of the pan to set the edges, then trim off the excess from the rim. Set the crust aside in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill (ensures a flakier crust).
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the crust in the middle of the oven until the center and edges are golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. It’s okay of there are cracks in the bottom of the crust. Place the pan on a rack to cool.
- To make the filling, scoop out the coconut cream solids from the can of coconut milk and whip with a hand mixer or in a food processor until fluffy and doubled in volume. Add the sugar and beat one more minute until the mixture forms stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until softened. Combine the cream cheese with the coconut cream and add the lemon juice, zest, and vanilla, folding to combine. Place the filling in the fridge to chill— it will thicken noticeably.
- To assemble the tart, remove the cooled shell carefully from the pan. Transfer the chilled mascarpone filling into the shell, spreading to all the edges and smoothing the top with a spatula. Arrange the figs on top, pressing them lightly into the filling. Keep the tart chilled until ready to serve.
Notes
- Recipe will fit a 11 x 8 x 1 inch rectangular pan or a 10 fluted tart pan.
- Use finely ground cornmeal or corn flour, not stone-ground cornmeal (too coarse for the crust to hold together).
- *I prefer Kite Hill almond milk plain cream cheese. Miyoko’s Creamery cream cheese (cashew-based) is also great.
- For an optional glaze, heat 2 tablespoons of red currant or orange jelly/marmalade and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in a small saucepan and stir until the mixture is melted. Allow to cool slightly, then brush the glaze onto the assembled figs on the tart with a pastry brush.
- The cornmeal crust can be baked one day ahead and kept covered at room temperature. The mascarpone filling can be made one day ahead and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Just give it a good stir before assembling.
