Fig Tart Cookies

You’ll enjoy these little thumbprint Fig Tart Cookies with less work, but all the taste of an old-fashioned sweet dough tart filled with fig preserves.

Aunt Mary’s House

My Great-Aunt Mary Lou made the best fruit tarts. My favorite, of course, was her fig. She was my grandfather’s sister, and he would take me to visit her in her home just up the road. It was the same house where they both grew up with their parents and 10 other siblings. One time when he took me for a visit, Aunt Mary’s kitchen table and counter’s were covered with freshly baked tarts. PaPa’s face lit up at the sight of them. He quickly said something in French and then began the beautiful cadence of their conversation. I wished now I were more curious as a child to learn more Cajun French words so I could have understood everything they were saying. Continuing onto the back porch, they visited for a while and before we left she sent us on our way with some fresh tarts.

Making Fig Tart Cookies

Last year I tried to make classic Cajun French fig tarts. The attempt was unsuccessful. I think it takes a lot of practice and patience. I haven’t practiced since, but I will. So I decided to shorten the process. I made my sugar cookie recipe and added some nutmeg to it to taste like a sweet tart dough.

I then formed them into thumbprint cookies.

After they were baked I filled the thumbprints with fig and strawberry fig preserves.

It’s not a tart, but this cookie has the taste of one. They are quick, easy, and fun to make, especially with your children or grandchildren. Here’s the recipe:

Fig Tart Cookies

Little thumbprint Fig Tart Cookies with less work, but all the taste of an old-fashioned sweet dough tart.

• Author: Louisiana Woman
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 36 cookies
• Category: Sweets

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cups sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup fig or any flavor preserves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Place flour, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl mixing together then set aside.

Cream together in a large bowl the butter and sugar.

Mix eggs and vanilla into creamed butter.

Add the flour mixture a little at a time and mix on low just until blended.

Roll the dough by hand into small balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. 

Press thumb into each cookie to hold fig preserves.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Fill each cookie with fig or strawberry fig preserves.

Remove cookies from pans and let cool on racks.

I can see, and that is why I can be happy, in what you call the dark, but which to me is golden. I can see a God-made world, not a manmade world.

Helen Keller