The Caramelised Onion, fig and brie tart appetizer bites are sweet and savory with the subtle warmth of caramelised onions, the fragrance of figs, orange and sage and the crunch of walnuts.
The fig and brie tarts were inspired by the memory of the brie, sage and walnut breakfast bread I used to buy in Cape Town. It was roughly in the shape of a Naan, but the flavors and technique were all French.
I used to spend the icy Winter mornings commuting to the Cape Town city centre and passed by a boulangerie owned by a French couple on my way to the office. I could not help but respond to the silent call of their nutty sweet smelling freshly baked loaves and caramelised onion tart.
Very often new recipe inspiration comes from an aroma or the beautiful colors of a display of fresh produce. One day I spied out of the corner of my eye a mound of sweet ripe figs and could not resist picking up a few. I loved the roasted figs with honey and orange that I had made previously and wanted to use it with caramelised onions and brie in puff pastry.
I decided to make these brie appetizers and it is one of my favorite vegetarian puff pastry recipes.
I grabbed a wedge of brie, brown onions for these caramelised onions, fresh sage and a dozen fresh figs. The result was these delightfully fragrant and flavorful Caramelised onion, fig and brie tart appetizers made with puff pastry.
You can also make a caramelised onion tart and leave off the figs but keep the cheese for a savory cheese and onion tart.
You can substitute the brie with goats cheese and make goats cheese and caramelised onion tart. The goats cheese has a more distinctive flavor than cows milk cheese so make sure you like the taste before purchase.
The fig, cheese and onion tartlets were easy to make and even easier to eat, when it finally made it’s appearance. Sweet, savory, crunchy…
Read more: How to make Caramelised Onions like a Pro
Caramelised onion, fig and brie tart appetizer
Ingredients
- 12 small ripe figs stalks removed
- 1 orange juice and zest
- 15 ml honey
- 375 grams all butter puff pastry or a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry. If using, bread dough it will require proving.
- 250 ml caramelised onions
- 200 grams ripe brie
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- 125 ml walnuts
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius, or 180 degrees with a fan assisted oven.
- Cut the figs in half lengthways.
- Mix the juice of half an orange with the honey in a small bowl and toss in the figs to coat.
- Arrange the figs in an oven tray cut side up and pour over the juice and honey mixture. I lined my tray with foil to catch the juices and prevent any burnt syrup on the tray.
- Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven to cool while you prepare the pastry sheet.
- Roll the pastry into a rectangle and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. If you are making appetisers then cut the pastry in twelve 7cm x 7cm squares and place in a shallow 12 hole bun pan.
- Prick the pastry base/s with a fork and place into the freezer to firm up until the figs are cool enough to use.
- Spread caramelised onions onto the pastry making sure to leave at least a 1 cm border on a large tart. For appetisers place 1 heaped teaspoon of caramelized onions into each depression.
- Brush egg on the exposed border to help it color.
- Scatter the figs cut side up over the caramelised onions, then add the chunks of brie, chopped walnuts and broken pieces of sage.
- Bake in the hot oven for 25 minutes until the pastry is cooked.
Notes
- For a large tart you will require all the figs but for appetisers you may require fewer figs if you slice each half into two.
- Use the remaining figs for breakfast over yogurt or oatmeal or for dessert over ice cream.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information for the recipe is an approximation and varies according to the ingredients and products used.
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This recipe was first published on 30 May 2015 and has since been updated.
58 Comments
Angel | Next Level Blogging
March 7, 2018 at 8:58 pmI have ever tried fig but this look delicious!
Razena Schroeder
March 10, 2018 at 6:26 pmYou must try figs when they are in season in late Spring and Summer.
Jazmine
March 7, 2018 at 10:35 amGreat recipe. Il be sure to try this out. Thank you!
Razena Schroeder
March 10, 2018 at 6:26 pmYou are most welcome Jasmine.
Twinspirational
March 6, 2018 at 2:36 amThis recipe looks delicious. We made apple and brie tarts, but will try this recipe. Check out our recipe here. http://www.twinspirational.com/2016/10/apples-to-apples.html
Razena Schroeder
March 10, 2018 at 6:26 pmFresh green apple and brie are an amazing combination too. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Lisa Rios
March 5, 2018 at 11:38 pmThese tarts look delicious. I would love to serve these at a party
Razena Schroeder
March 10, 2018 at 6:25 pmThey are awesome little bites of moreishness. Just make enough because they will fly off the plates.
Elizabeth O
March 5, 2018 at 8:29 pmThis combination sounds delicious. I like that its quite quick and easy to make. The photos are making my mouth water!
Razena Schroeder
March 10, 2018 at 6:24 pmThanks Elizabeth for your kinds words 🙂
Kelly Edgar
March 5, 2018 at 7:25 pmThis looks so amazingly tasty ! I think I may try this recipe for lunch today 😀
Razena Schroeder
March 10, 2018 at 6:23 pmIt so easy to make and you can knock one for lunch quickly enough with all the ingredients ready.
Doreen Pinto
March 5, 2018 at 7:24 pmOh, I love me a good cooking blog! So many great recipes to choose from. But baking seems like a lot of time. If I bake anything I try to keep it under 30 minutes
Razena Schroeder
March 10, 2018 at 6:23 pmI get you there! Life is too short for long bakes although I must confess sometimes even I make the time for something that turns out this delicious.
Journa Ramirez
March 5, 2018 at 7:12 pmThis dish looks flavorful and delicious. I can’t wait to make some and let my family try it!
Razena Schroeder
March 10, 2018 at 6:21 pmThank you Journa. I hope they like it too 🙂
Annie
March 5, 2018 at 3:41 pmI love Brie and this looks amazing! I love that delicate crust!
Razena Schroeder
March 10, 2018 at 6:20 pmIt’s easy to make with the ready bought puff pastry base.
Miljana
March 5, 2018 at 3:02 pmWow, your blog is beautiful! And I love every recipe. 🙂
Razena Schroeder
March 5, 2018 at 3:04 pmThank you so much Miljana, you very kind to say that 🙂
Melinda
March 5, 2018 at 2:50 pmI LOVE Brie, but have never ventured past just using it as a spread on a baguette. This looks and sounds amazing though, I think it’s definitely time to try something new! Thank you for the recipe!
Razena Schroeder
March 5, 2018 at 2:53 pmBrie tastes lovely eaten on baguette but it is so versatile that you just have to use it in these appetizers or even on oven baked toast.
sian
March 5, 2018 at 2:27 pmI have never tried Fig before but this recipe is making me drool. The photos of it look incredible!!
Razena Schroeder
March 5, 2018 at 2:52 pmThank you Sian! Spring will be upon us soon when the first figs will be appearing if you are in the northern hemisphere. I hope you find some to enjoy this year.
Trisha
March 5, 2018 at 9:35 amThis looks fantastic. I wish we would get puff pastry where I stay in India.
Razena Schroeder
March 5, 2018 at 11:08 amI have not made puff pastry in many years because I find really lovely butter puff pastry in my supermarket. Hopefully I will have the nerve to try my mother’s recipes that she used for pies.
Jennifer Prince
March 5, 2018 at 6:23 amThe title made me think “no way” that I could ever do this, but you made it look so simple. And in those tiny tart pans – they are so adorable!!
Razena Schroeder
March 5, 2018 at 9:24 amHaha I used to hate those tart pans when I was young because they were just to shallow for the cupcakes I wanted to make. I love them now though because they are perfect for little tarts.
Noelle Lynne
March 5, 2018 at 12:29 amTalk about delicious looking, bookmarking this now. Going to attempt and make this for dinner tomorrow, looks delicious.
Razena Schroeder
March 5, 2018 at 9:23 amI hope you are able to find fresh figs. I would love to hear how it turned out for you.
Quirky Homemaker
March 4, 2018 at 11:27 pmI haven’t made too many things with fig and I don’t think I’ve ever bought a fresh fig before in my life! I’ll have to put that on my list of things to do. This tart sounds amazing!
Razena Schroeder
March 5, 2018 at 9:22 amDepending on where you are located you will usually find fresh figs in season in late spring and summer. Hope you get some lovely sweet ones.
Ashlee | She Can Social
March 3, 2018 at 11:54 pmOh wow, these look incredible! I haven’t tried many things with fig, but I’m thinking these would be too yummy to pass up!
Razena Schroeder
March 4, 2018 at 5:32 pmI’m beginning to realise I was not the only person who had a childhood deprived of fresh figs. If you can find them, try ripe Mission figs (also known as Black Mission or Franciscana figs).
Cia Black
March 3, 2018 at 11:20 pmI have never had fig outside of the Fig Newton bars. And I can’t stand them. Have you had them before? If you have do they taste different?This looks to appetizing but my fear of taste is keeping my abay. I’m going to have to give it a try.
Razena Schroeder
March 4, 2018 at 5:25 pmI had no idea what a Fig Newton bar was and had to google it. I doubt fresh figs taste anything like it.
Today I tasted something very delicious that actually made me wonder what I can do with dried figs. It was one of those one bite appetizers served on a spoon with a butternut puree on the base of the spoon, a thin slice of smoked duck rolled and placed on top of the butternut puree and topped with a dot of dried fig puree and a redcurrant. The sweet, smoky and slightly salty flavors together were fabulous flavor explosion.
Lindsay
March 3, 2018 at 9:45 amI love trying new recipes- although I’m not the best cook to be honest! This looks like a fun one to try for my best friends birthday.
Razena Schroeder
March 4, 2018 at 5:19 pmThese are quite easy so you do not need to be a cordon bleu trained chef to make it :). Have fun making them.
London Mumma
March 2, 2018 at 4:34 pmThese tarts look like a real weekend treat, luckily for me tomorrow is the weekend and I think i’ll whip these up. Hopefully I wont burn them.
Razena Schroeder
March 4, 2018 at 5:18 pmThey don’t take that long to bake so hopefully no burnt tarts 🙂
Nammi
March 2, 2018 at 8:54 amoh this loooks yummy,should try this as I rarely use brie .
Razena Schroeder
March 4, 2018 at 5:17 pmI love eating brie it’s just ripe and tastes smooth and creamy. I don’t really care for the smell or texture when it is overripe.
ANna
March 1, 2018 at 2:25 amI’m not really great at the kitchen, but I love figs and the recipe didn’t seem that hard to make so I think I’ll definitely give it a try this weekend. Wish me luck!
Thank you for sharing, really delicious lookin’ photos 😉
Razena Schroeder
March 1, 2018 at 10:10 amYou are most welcome 🙂 Let me know how they turned out.
Amalia
February 28, 2018 at 9:39 pmRazena caramelized onions and brie in the same dish? Looks amazing! I will try to follow your recipe to see how the figs connect with the other ingredients but looks like heaven!
Razena Schroeder
March 1, 2018 at 10:08 amThe aroma as it is baking is unbelievably good.
Mike Morgan
February 28, 2018 at 8:44 pmI need to try this! Never tried using roasted figs before!
Razena Schroeder
March 1, 2018 at 10:07 amUnfortunately not all figs are sweet as honey even when they are ripe, and I find roasting them adds so much flavor and seems to bring out the sweetness 🙂
Alison Rost
February 28, 2018 at 4:42 amThis looks so good and surprisingly easy to make. I would love to make this especially if I’m hosting a party. I’ve always liked the combination of sweet and savory!
Razena Schroeder
February 28, 2018 at 11:55 amThe roasted figs and caramelized onions can me made a few days ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator. On the day all you have to do is assemble and bake before the guests arrive.
Kweni
February 28, 2018 at 12:39 amThis looks so lovely I’m drooling. I will give figs a chance even if I’m not a big fan of it just because it looks so yummy together with the other ingredients.
Razena Schroeder
February 28, 2018 at 11:53 amHaha roasted figs will surely make you a fan. It adds a completely different flavor.
Brian
February 27, 2018 at 11:37 pmI would skip the caramelized onions, but everything else sounds great! Gonna read your Thai fish cake recipe next!
Razena Schroeder
February 28, 2018 at 11:48 amThe Thai fish cakes are awesome but those photos! I suspect they were taken with my blackberry when I knew nothing about Food photography 🙂
Stephanie Lane
February 27, 2018 at 5:53 pmI’ve never been a big fan of Brie. But you have piqued my interest adding the figs and caramelized onions. I made a few of your recipes before and they’ve turned out great, so I’ll give this one a try.
Razena Schroeder
February 28, 2018 at 11:52 amI love brie with preserved figs and crackers or a lovely seed bread but this is quite delicious too. I am eternally grateful to the French baker who showed me the possibilities.
macy
February 27, 2018 at 11:52 amI love figs. I can imagine your kitchen must be smelling like some fancy French bakery when it was baking 😉 I have some Gruyere left in the fridge, maybe can try to make something like that tomorrow using your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Razena Schroeder
February 28, 2018 at 11:49 amYou are so right! I felt so bad for my neighbor because I suspect he gets all the food aromas from my kitchen that happens to adjoin his bedroom wall.