Don't you love it when someone gives you a bag of free stuff, especially when that bag contains a squillon, fat, juicy, fresh figs. Well, not exactly a squillion but I was pretty excited about receiving them just the same.
I was told fresh figs ripen very quickly so thought it best to freeze half and eat the remaining ones nice and fresh. They freeze well.
Most of my life has been spent in Christchurch and the Canterbury region. Our home garden, while full of a variety of fruit trees and berry bushes, it didn't contain anything as exotic as a fig tree. I am not sure why, possibly because they didn't like very cold winters. (Having said that my good friend Deb has a huge one in her garden). I guess it is more likely Mum and Dad didn't know much about fig trees in those days and the soil was a bit on the sandy side on our side of town.
I know my Mum was a huge fan of dried figs, a treat I'm rather fond of as well! In the past I've cooked the odd Middle Eastern dish with dried figs but never with fresh figs. So it was a bit of a nice adventure hunting out a recipe using fresh figs, made easier of course, with my new 'Eat my Books' library.
I happened upon this recipe from 'Savour Italy' by Annabel Langbein. A lovely moist cake, it was perfect to serve when I hosted my book group. It makes two cakes, and being suitable to freeze, the extra one was stored away for another time. Use other fruit like plums, apricots or grapes when they are in season.
(Tips - Line the bottom of your tin, my cake stuck to the bottom and while in the oven, put tin foil on the rack - the cake drips syrup while cooking!)
Harvest Fig Cake
10 - 12 fresh figs or other seasonal fruit
3 tbsp sugar
300g (11oz) butter
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 c milk
2 c plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c ground toasted almonds (my almonds were not blanched and gave a nice wholemeal look to the cake)
Optional: icing sugar to dust
Cut figs in half and sprinkle first measure of sugar. Put to one side
Heat oven to 180C. Beat together butter and second measure of sugar until creamy.
Add eggs, lemon rind, and vanilla essence.
Gently stir in milk, flour, BP and almonds to form smooth batter.
Divide batter between two greased springform tins, 20-23cm (8-9ins) diameter. (Best to line the bottom, my cake stuck to the bottom and while in the oven, put tin foil on the rack - the cake drips syrup while cooking!)
Arrange figs or other fruit cut side up, on top. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 180C for 30 mins., reduce heat to 160C and cook a further 25-30 mins or until
tested. Leave to cool before turning out.
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm, with whipped cream (or yoghurt).
I was told fresh figs ripen very quickly so thought it best to freeze half and eat the remaining ones nice and fresh. They freeze well.
I know my Mum was a huge fan of dried figs, a treat I'm rather fond of as well! In the past I've cooked the odd Middle Eastern dish with dried figs but never with fresh figs. So it was a bit of a nice adventure hunting out a recipe using fresh figs, made easier of course, with my new 'Eat my Books' library.
I happened upon this recipe from 'Savour Italy' by Annabel Langbein. A lovely moist cake, it was perfect to serve when I hosted my book group. It makes two cakes, and being suitable to freeze, the extra one was stored away for another time. Use other fruit like plums, apricots or grapes when they are in season.
(Tips - Line the bottom of your tin, my cake stuck to the bottom and while in the oven, put tin foil on the rack - the cake drips syrup while cooking!)
Harvest Fig Cake
10 - 12 fresh figs or other seasonal fruit
3 tbsp sugar
300g (11oz) butter
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 c milk
2 c plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c ground toasted almonds (my almonds were not blanched and gave a nice wholemeal look to the cake)
Optional: icing sugar to dust
Cut figs in half and sprinkle first measure of sugar. Put to one side
Heat oven to 180C. Beat together butter and second measure of sugar until creamy.
Add eggs, lemon rind, and vanilla essence.
Gently stir in milk, flour, BP and almonds to form smooth batter.
Divide batter between two greased springform tins, 20-23cm (8-9ins) diameter. (Best to line the bottom, my cake stuck to the bottom and while in the oven, put tin foil on the rack - the cake drips syrup while cooking!)
Arrange figs or other fruit cut side up, on top. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 180C for 30 mins., reduce heat to 160C and cook a further 25-30 mins or until
tested. Leave to cool before turning out.
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm, with whipped cream (or yoghurt).
 |
| The figs are prepared beforehand |
 |
| Ready for the oven |
 |
| Dust with icing sugar and serve with yoghurt or whipped cream |
1 comment:
That looks amazing! YUM!
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