Low fat desert are tough and I have been trying to get away from using artificial sweeteners which makes them even tougher. The idea for this recipe came to me the other day when I was at the market and a man was doing to hard sell on figs. That said, they were so sweet that they were just crying out to be used in a low fat, low calorie dessert. The other item in this one is mascarpone cheese. I did originally plan to have only this, but when I discovered the fat content i realised that wasn't going to fly. This compromise works well and they look lovely.
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese 3/4 cup lite cream cheese 1 tablespoon fat free sour cream 1 egg white 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/2 teaspoons honey 12 figs 1 teaspoon lemon juice 4 sheets fillo pastry Cooking spray 1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine egg white with vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of honey. Wisk until it forms soft peaks. Combine cheeses and the cream and mix until smooth. Combine the egg whites with the cheese and set aside. Take one piece of fillo pastry. Cut into thirds lengthways and then cut each length into four squares, so that you have twelve squares, repeat with the remaining sheets. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and line each compartment with one square of fillo. Spray the fillo and top with another sheet. Repeat until each compartment of the muffin tin is lined with four squares of fillo. This forms the tart "shells". Cut the top and bottom on the first fig and then slice diagonally across the top three times to form six slices, do not cut all the way through. Repeat for the remaining figs. Combine the lemon juice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of honey and sprinkle over the figs. Divide the cheese filing between the fillo cases, it's about a teaspoon and a bit per case usually. Top each case with a fig. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve at room temperature, and if you like sprinkle with a little powdered sugar.
