figs – Sweet Tooth Experiments

Fig Lavender and Honey Mini-Tarts

Posted on December 29, 2018 Posted in Tarts .

Fig Lavender and Honey Mini-Tarts

The taste of this tart is Christmas in a nutshell, but you do need to be a lover of figs that’s for sure!

After playing around with the size, flavours and quantities of a mince-pie alternative tart (I love mince pies apart from the filling aka the main part of a mince pie lol), I ended up happy with little bite sized tarts (almost canapé style).

If you like mince pies but prefer figs over sultanas this is the perfect mince pie replacement Christmas treat for you.

You never know, you may convert yourself to a new Christmas fav, others too!

Ingredients:

Pastry:

100g flour
50g butter
25g sugar

Filling:

20g honey
½ tsn ground lavender
225g dried figs
¼ tsn apple cider vinegar
½ tsn orange zest

Decoration:

Honey
Lavender flowers
Orange zest

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees.
Place the pastry ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add 25ml of water and process until the mix resembles dough and comes away from the sides of the bowl. If this does not occur and the mix looks too dry add an extra 5ml of water and process again.
Place the dough on a floured bench and knead the dough for a minute. Following divide the dough into 12 balls of 15g each.
With a rolling pin roll the balls into disks and place them into 12 mini (1 + ½ tbsn capacity) tart cases. OR as an alternative grease a small cupcake tin and place the disks in the bottom and sides of the tin cupcake holes (a 24 capacity – 33x22cm sized tin are quite common to have or find).
Prick the pastry with a fork a few times and place the tarts in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the filling by placing the lavender into a mortar and pestle and grind until the lavender is too a powder consistency.
Place the figs, 320ml of water, honey, lavender, vinegar and orange zest in a pan on a medium heat.
Boil the mix for 15 minutes; stirring every few minutes until the figs are plumb and the water is to a syrupy sticky consistency.
Place the mix into the food processor and blitz until the figs are at a paste consistency.
Place baking paper in the center of each tart case followed with some rice or baking weights to weight down the rise of the pastry base while cooking.
Place the tart shells in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the baking paper and weights and bake in the oven for a further 8 minutes or until the tart shells are slightly golden brown.
Place the fig mix into the tart shells and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Remove the tarts from the oven and once cooled if you wish add a few lavender flowers and a little orange zest for decoration.

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Fig Lavender and Honey Mini-Tarts recipe

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Alegria

Posted on December 8, 2018 Posted in Mexican .

Alegria

Alegria is a Mexican sweet treat, similar to a muesli bar, however instead of oats as the main ingredient this recipe uses puffed amaranth.

Similar to most traditional countries dishes Alegria has endless versions, with many variations on nuts, dried fruits and seeds.

The traditional version is generally a simple amaranth and honey mix.

For something a little different and to put my spin on the recipe I opted to add in bitter dark chocolate pieces. Additionally, I added my chosen dried fruit and nut combination that works brilliantly with honey. Using salted nuts will add a salty savory offset to the honey, while the sweet fig will complement the bitter chocolate.

Amaranth, itself is an ancient grain, similar to quinoa (a super grain with high protein and is gluten-free). Amaranth is a great source of vitamins and minerals, it keeps you regular and is said to lower bad cholesterol. Based on this, how could you not want to eat this ‘muesli bar’ alternative that has no processed sugar and is packed full of body loving nutrition.

Amaranth is fast becoming a health isle stable, where I was able to buy the puffed amarath (and grain amaranth) at my local supermarket.

Ingredients:

70g dried figs
80g lightly salted almonds
125g 85% cocoa dark chocolate
100g popped/puffed amaranth
185g honey
¼ tsn salt

Method:

Dice the figs, almonds and chocolate into very small pieces and place in a bowl.
Add the amaranth to the fig mix and stir until well combined.
Place the honey into a saucepan on a medium heat and cook for 4 minutes or until the honey is about to caramelize.
Take the honey off the heat and stir through the salt.
Pour the honey over the amaranth mix and stir until the mix is well combine and the honey is evenly covering all the mix.
Line a 20cm x 20cm slice tin with baking paper.
Spoon the mix into the slice tin and flatten the top until completely level.
Place the slice in the fridge for 30 mins minumum to set.
Remove the slice from the tin and cut into bars, enjoy!

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Upside-Down Golden Caramelised Fig and Port Cake

Posted on December 30, 2017 Posted in Cakes .

Upside-Down Golden Caramelised Fig and Port Cake

Figs are absolutely delectable when baked and then caramelised, especially when they are swimming in glossy thick caramel sauce, much like pineapple.

So if figs are most luscious utilising the same baking method as pineapple then it makes sense to look at baking techniques that pineapple shines and adapting for figs accordingly.

Thus the upside-down element to this recipe.

Next to work out was what flavours work best with figs and caramel. After a bit of research, taste testing and trial/error I found that using golden syrup in the caramel made the figs absolutely succulent – like addictively delicious.

The addition of the Port enhances the fig flavour and works as a complimentary flavour pairing.

This recipe absolutely exceeded my expectations to the point that they cake was half eaten by me in one sitting (in which a cake needs to be pretty special to do)!






Ingredients:

6 dried figs

Golden Caramel Syrup:

60g brown sugar
70g butter
1 tsn vanilla essence
70ml cream
100ml golden syrup
30ml Port wine

Cake Batter:

150g butter
150g brown sugar
1 tsn vanilla essence
2 eggs
130g self raising flour
60ml buttermilk
20ml Port wine

Vanilla Cream:

200ml cream
30g icing sugar
1 tsn vanilla essence

Method:

Soak the figs in boiling water and leave to absorb overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper, ensuring no gaps on the bottom and sides of the tin.
Cut the figs in half horizontally (figs in upright position), then half again small ways (vertically). You should have 24 semi-circle fig pieces.
Add all the syrup ingredients into a saucepan and stir on a medium heat until boiling and thickens slightly.
Place the syrup aside to cool slightly.
Pour the syrup into the prepared cake tin and top with the figs ensuring they cover the base completely and evenly (as they are softened from being soaked you can easily squash them to all fit).
Following make the cake by whisking the butter and sugar with electric beaters for 5 minutes or until fluffy and pale.
Add the vanilla and the eggs, one egg at a time beating in between each addition until well combine.
Sieve the flour into the batter mix, pour in the buttermilk and pour in the Port.
Beat the mix on low until only just combine (do not over beat).
Spoon the mix carefully over the figs and caramel completely covering. Following flatten the cake surface with the back of a spoon.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes of until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Place the cake onto a cooling rack until completely cold, still in the cake tin.
Meanwhile, place the vanilla cream ingredients into a bowl and beat with electric beaters until firm peaks form.
To prepare the cake, invert the cold cake onto a serving plate.
Spoon the vanilla cream on top of the cake and enjoy.


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Dried Date Fig and Honey Bread

Posted on April 1, 2017 Posted in Bread .

Dried Date Fig and Honey Bread

After having some dried figs left over from my Fig and Grape Syrup cake and dates from my Date Spiced Syrup Doughnuts I decided to come up with a recipe that would utilize these two ingredients.

After doing quite a bit of baking with dried fruit in cakes, puddings and pies recently I wanted to step away and bake with dried fruit in a different way.

I have also been baking a lot with dough in the past few weeks and though not an expert I felt I had the confidence to take on bread making.

My favorite bread is raisin toast so I thought I would put my spin on fruit bread and make a gourmet fig and date version.

This bread warmed, with a spread of butter is pure magic tasting!

Ingredients:

400g white bread flour
½ tsn yeast
2 tbsn honey
100g dried figs
100g dried dates
1 tsn salt
½ tsn cinnamon
20g almonds
1 tbsn olive oil
Pinch of ground ginger

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200c degrees and line a baking tray with oiled baking paper.
Dice up the dates, figs and almonds.
Mix the flour, yeast, honey, salt, cinnamon, almonds, dried dates and figs in a bowl.
Place the olive oil and 280ml warm water in a separate bowl.
Mix the water in the dry ingredient bowl and once combine knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Oil the bowl and place the dough back in the bowl, covering with cling wrap to prove for 1-2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.
Push-back the dough by kneading for 2 minutes, shape into a load shape and allow to prove again for 1 hour on the tray covered with cling wrap.
Once proved slash a cross on the top of the loaf and dust with a pinch of flour and ground ginger.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
Allow to cool then slice and spread with butter, enjoy!

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Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Honey Figs Syrup

Posted on April 26, 2016 Posted in Panna Cotta .

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Honey Figs Syrup

I recently went through a phase where I wanted to make ‘healthy’ desserts, but without using super expensive ingredients or ingredients that are difficult to find.

On top of this I didn’t want them to be too hard to make, I wanted to make the recipe easy for anyone to pick up and master. Additionally, I wanted people to be able to zip into Coles for ingredients and make a simply tasty and not KJ (calorie) heavy dessert.

This Panna Cotta recipe uses low fat yoghurt and milk instead of fattening cream and honey to add some extra sweetness.

The figs provide some beautiful flavor and sweetness (especially being soaked in honey).

Ingredients:

Panna Cotta:

120ml low fat milk
2 tsn honey
2 tsn vanilla essence
2 + ¼ tsn gelatine
480ml low fat vanilla yoghurt

Syrup:

120ml honey
200ml water
320g figs (around 5 figs)

Method:

Spray 4 x 250ml cup ramekins with oil spray.
Place the milk, honey and vanilla essence in a bowl and heat in the microwave until boiling, stir to combine.
Add the gelatine and beat until smooth with no lumps.
Add the yoghurt and whisk to combine.
Pour the mix evenly between the 4 ramekins and place in the fridge to set for 4 hours.
Meanwhile, make the figs cut up the figs into 6 pieces vertically and place in a saucepan.
Add the honey and water to the saucepan and heat on high on the stove.
Stir constantly until the figs are soft and a syrup has formed (will take around 5 minutes on high/medium heat).
Place the syrup and figs into a bowl and leave aside to cool completely.
Once the Panna Cotta has set turn out onto a plate and top with the cooled figs and cooled syrup. Serve.

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