Fig-Honey Tarts - Nut shortbread

Method

• Bake nut shortbread crusts (set individual crusts in a 12- by 15-inch pan) in a 350° oven (or a 325° convection oven) until golden at edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• While crusts bake, make nut sauce. In a bowl, mix honey, whipping cream, hazelnuts, and lemon peel.
• Rinse figs, trim stems, and cut into pieces that are about 1 inch wide. Arrange figs, tips and cut side up, in hot crusts or crust.
• Spoon nut sauce equally over fruit.
• Bake in a 350° oven (or a 325° convection oven) until sauce is bubbling and crust is deep golden, 20 to 24 minutes for individual tarts, 50 to 55 minutes for a large tart.
• Cool in pan or pans on a rack at least 30 minutes. If making ahead, chill airtight up to 1 day. Remove pan rims. Serve with ice cream
• Nut shortbread crusts: In a food processor, mince 1/3 cup hazelnuts with 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Add 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter or margarine, in chunks, and whirl until fine crumbs form. Add 1 large egg yolk and whirl until dough holds together. (Or mince nuts with a knife, then put in a bowl. Rub in flour, butter, and sugar until fine crumbs form; then, with a fork, mix in yolk. Pat into a ball.) In 6 tart pans (4 1/2 in. wide) with removable rims, or an 11-inch tart pan, press dough evenly over bottom and up sides, flush with rims.
• Nutritional analysis per individual tart.