I have to confess that I'm not a fan of figs. However, I come from a family that adores figs and I just don't get it. To me, figs (at least the dried ones, the only ones I've ever tried) are tooth-shatteringly sweet, plus I'm just not a fan of all those tiny seeds that get stuck in your teeth. Nope, me and figs don't get along. Luckily, I'm happy to appease the fig-lovers in my family. I've made fig newtons from scratch and I've passed along these figgy bites to great acclaim.
Pan de Higo is a Spanish fig cake and is a great way to celebrate those heady autumnal flavours. It's a flourless cake and kind of resembles a fruit cake or even a Larabar. This kind of fig cake isn't your traditional dessert. Instead, these fig bites are packed with nutrients and fiber and are best served alongside a cheese and cured meat platter. Or if figs are your thing, just nibble away as a snack.
Pan de Higo
(recipe adapted from Apple Pie, Patis, & Pate)
1/2 pound dried figs
2 tablespoons toasted almond meal
1/4 cup toasted almonds, finely chopped (but still lumpy)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon lightly crushed anise seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
2 teaspoons honey
1-2 tablespoons dark rum
If you've got a food processor, it will be easy work to pulse the figs into a rough paste. Me, I made do with my double-bladed mezzaluna. Combine the finely chopped figs with the almond meal, sesame seeds, anise seeds, ground cinnamon and cloves. Add in the honey and the rum and knead the mixture until everything is incorporated. Add more rum or almond meal if you need to.
Line a mini muffin tray with plastic wrap (or rounds of parchment or rice paper) and roll about a tablespoon of the mixture into a ball. Add it into the prepared muffin cup and use the back of a spoon to flatten into a disc. Cover each disc with plastic (or parchment) and let stand in a cool dry space for 2-3 days so that the flavours can mingle. Wrapped and kept in a cool place, these should last about a month or so.
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon lightly crushed anise seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
2 teaspoons honey
1-2 tablespoons dark rum
If you've got a food processor, it will be easy work to pulse the figs into a rough paste. Me, I made do with my double-bladed mezzaluna. Combine the finely chopped figs with the almond meal, sesame seeds, anise seeds, ground cinnamon and cloves. Add in the honey and the rum and knead the mixture until everything is incorporated. Add more rum or almond meal if you need to.
Line a mini muffin tray with plastic wrap (or rounds of parchment or rice paper) and roll about a tablespoon of the mixture into a ball. Add it into the prepared muffin cup and use the back of a spoon to flatten into a disc. Cover each disc with plastic (or parchment) and let stand in a cool dry space for 2-3 days so that the flavours can mingle. Wrapped and kept in a cool place, these should last about a month or so.
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