Cooking Figs!

Dry or fresh … eaten with ice cream or as a toppping on any dessert or just eaten as they are! They are one of the best individual peices of fruits which have been around. Some of the fig recipes which will make you crave even more of them are …

Fig Jam

Jams, Spreads, Marmalades or just a sweet and sour dip .. are all the things which we love to just smear on our favorite type of toasted breads and enjoy with a goof cup of coffee, tea or anything cold!

To fulfill the most sweetest of the sweet tooths, the fig jam is one of the most different and the most flavorfull jam that one can prefer to have in their breakfast meals. Not only the fact that the “Fig” is one of the sweetest fruit around but the distinctive flavor that it has provides the best flavor.

Jams can be made in a wide variety of ways and can be either too simple to make or too difficult to handle. The fact that many ingredients such as fruit peel, different fruits other than the base flavor or additive agents such as pectin to have it set makes them everyones customisable cup of tea.

A Simpler way although is to …

• Figs – 250 grams (after peeling, in case of fresh figs)
• Sugar ( can be white or brown )
• Lemon Juice – 1 no.
• Water – 150ml

Method :

1. Start off by peeling the figs and keep the peel (incase making a marmalade).
2. In a sauce pan, add the peeled figs, sugar and the water. Bring to a boil
3. In case making a marmalade thinly slice the fig skins
4. Once the mixture starts to thicken up, add the lemon juice and continue to cook on slow heat. Add the sliced peels of the fig and cook till it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Cool and transfer to a glass or cermaic bowl (no plastics) and chill in refrigerator.

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Fig Newtons

Fig newtons are cookies which have a fig filling , their filling can be twisted and turned as to how you would want it to be. Adding ingredients such as fruit juices and peels to give a tang or a different sweetness is the easiest way to go!

For this particular recipe, i’d say I loved the recipe shared by “serious eats“

• 10 1/2 ounces all purpose flour, such as Gold Medal, plus more for dusting (2 1/4 cups, spooned; 295g)
• 5 ounces unsalted butter, soft but cool, about 65°F (1 1/4 sticks; 140g)
• 4 ounces light brown sugar, gently packed (1/2 cup; 110g)
• 1/2 plus 1/8 teaspoon (3.6g) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 ounce honey (about 2 tablespoons, ungreased; 30g)
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 tablespoon; 15g)
• 3 large egg yolks, straight from the fridge (approximately 1 1/2 ounces; 40g)
• No-Cook Fig Preserves:
• 12 ounces plump, sticky dried Mission figs, stems trimmed (about 2 1/2 cups; 340g)
• 3 1/2 ounces sweetened or unsweetened applesauce (about 1/3 cup; 100g)
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 tablespoons; 30g)

Method:

1. Prepare the Dough: Combine butter, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, honey, and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to moisten, then increase to medium and cream until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add orange juice, then add the egg yolks one at a time and continue beating until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and sprinkle in the flour, mixing until well combined.
2. Knead the dough against the sides of the bowl to form a smooth ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until cool and firm but not hard, about 1 hour. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; soften for 30 minutes at room temperature.)
3. Prepare the Preserves: Cut the figs in half. Pulse with applesauce and orange juice in a food processor until roughly chopped, then process to a thick, smooth paste. Scrape the bowl and blade with a flexible spatula, then process a minute more to ensure absolutely no chunks remain. Transfer to a sturdy piping bag fitted with a 1⁄2-inch plain tip and set aside until needed, up to 24 hours. (The preserves can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks; bring to room temperature before using.)
4. To Assemble the Cookies: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Knead the cool dough on a bare work surface until pliable and smooth, then dust with flour and roll into an 8-inch square. Sprinkle both sides with flour and roll into a 15-inch square. Slide an offset spatula under the dough to loosen it, brush off excess flour, and cut into four 3 1/4-inch strips.
5. Holding the bag at a 90-degree angle just above the surface of the dough (this will force the preserves to flatten as they leave the bag), pipe a 1-inch-wide strip down the center of each portion. Fold a long flap of dough over each strip, brush away excess flour, and roll each bar over, seam side down. Gently flatten each bar with your fingertips, then transfer to a parchment-lined half sheet pan (all four bars will fit on a single sheet).
6. Bake until the bars are puffed and firm, without any significant browning, about 18 minutes. Immediately cut into 1-inch pieces with a bench scraper, then transfer to an airtight container, with a paper towel between each layer and on top. This will steam the cookies and retain moisture for them to reabsorb, creating a uniquely soft and cakey texture. Cover and “mature” for at least 6 hours before serving; prior to that, the cookies will taste dry. Store for up to 1 week at room temperature or up to a month in the fridge.

And last but not the least ! As figs can be used in many ways and can be used in all sorts of desserts, the best way is to use them as a filling substitute by using the above mentioned filling mix.

One can always substitute the orange juice for any other form of liquid other than milk in some cases to blend together and give a binding structure to the figs.

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Caramalised Honey Figs with Choice Of Ice Cream

• One Teaspoon Honey
• One Teaspoon Water
• Two Figs – Cut in slices
• Two Scoops of your fav. ice cream.
• And that’s all it takes

Sometimes the best desserts are the ones , which are the easiest to make!

Method:

1. Heat up the honey and the water together and toss in the figs .
2. At this point you can add any other flavoring that you like . example nuts or the zest of any citrus fruits
3. Remove from heat and spoon it out in to a bowl.
4. Top with the icecream and the sauce from the figs.

Enjoy!

Figs are easy to use and easy to process to make wonderful dishes, there can be many more dishes that can be made with such a beautiful fruit. It all takes is Imagination.!

While these were some of the recipes which can be made with this ingredient, there are many more yet to be cooked and tried. So,
Let’s Take Ingredients ONE At A Time.