Quality of Life Improvement 34: Hawaiian Fig-Macadamia Tart

Last in our series of holiday favorites is this rather simple but elegant tart of figs and macadamias. We find it a refreshing option to this season's usual hegemony of pumpkin pie and the sickeningly-sweet pecan pie.

We suggest that you make the effort to use vanilla from Hawaii or Tahiti. Both have a distinct taste; Tahitian vanilla is famously floral and heavily perfumed— in contrast to the the rich, dark liqueur of Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla—while the aroma of Hawaiian vanilla falls somewhere between Tahitian and Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla extremes.

In this recipe, the florid spiciness of Tahitian vanilla is in natural company with the earthiness of figs and macadamias. This tart is perfect for those celebrating Kalikimaka in Hawaiʻi, whether in person, in spirit, or in mind only.


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© 2010 The Hawaiian Sybarite