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1
Place cannella or cinnamon stick, star anise pods, peppercorns, and juniper berries in a 5-by-5-inch piece of cheesecloth and tie tightly with butchers twine.
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2
Place sachet and wine in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
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3
Reduce heat to low, add figs, and cook until plumped, about 10 minutes.
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4
Strain figs through a fine mesh strainer and place in a medium bowl; discard sachet.
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5
Cool figs to room temperature; set aside.
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6
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F, arrange a rack in the middle, and place a baking sheet on the rack.
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7
Place walnut halves in a medium frying pan over medium heat and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
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8
Add butter and salt, and allow butter to brown slightly, stirring frequently, about 1 minute.
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9
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature; set aside.
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10
Combine cheese, cream, and vanilla seeds in a small mixing bowl and stir until smooth.
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11
(Refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to 1 week.
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12
Bring to room temperature before using.)
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13
Line a 9-inch aluminum tart pan that has a removable bottom with puff pastry dough and trim the edges, leaving a 1/4-inch overhang.
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14
Using a fork, prick the bottom of the dough all over, line with parchment paper, and fill with dry beans or pastry weights.
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15
Place on the heated baking sheet and bake until the edges are puffed and beginning to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes.
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16
Remove the parchment paper and beans or weights, and bake for another 10 minutes until the center is golden brown.
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17
Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack.
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18
Place poached figs, toasted walnuts, and honey in a large bowl and mix to combine.
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19
Evenly spread cheese mixture on the bottom of the cooled tart shell and evenly top with the fig-walnut mixture.
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20
Bake on the baking sheet until pastry is cooked all the way through and filling is bubbling, about 10 minutes.
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21
Remove from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.
