Fig Chess Tarts

Fig chess tarts take the classic Southern chess pie and shrink it down into individual servings, with a few smart upgrades. The shell isn’t a generic pastry crust, it’s a tender shortbread with lemon zest and an egg yolk that gives it the snap of a butter cookie. Pricking it before the first bake keeps the bottom flat so the filling doesn’t tilt.

The filling is pure chess pie logic: creamed butter and brown sugar, egg yolks, a splash of milk, and just enough flour to set it. Chopped dried figs add jammy chew and the walnuts toast in the oven during the second bake. Cinnamon and nutmeg keep the back end warm without turning it into a spice pie.

They come out bubbly at the edges with a barely-set middle that firms as it cools. Plate them with strong coffee or a glass of bourbon.

Pro Tips

• Roll the shortbread dough between sheets of plastic wrap to keep it from tearing. It’s higher in butter than standard pie dough.
• Don’t skip pricking the par-baked shells. Untreated dough puffs into a dome and crowds out the filling.
• The filling should still jiggle in the center when you pull the tarts out. Carryover heat finishes the set.
• Store at room temperature for a day, then refrigerate. The butter shell softens if chilled too long.

Variations

• Sub pecans for the walnuts for a more traditional Southern profile.
• Use dried apricots in place of figs for a tangier filling.
• Add a tablespoon of bourbon to the filling for a deeper, smokier note.