August 26th, 2010
Figs, Figs, and more Figs, Recipes
I remember the first time I tasted a fresh fig. Well, there is nothing better. Fig Newtons? No way, not even close. I instantly became a fan.
Purplish brown, greenish yellow, and deep burgundy; the colors that are so characteristic of fresh figs.
My Fig Tree
Their season? August through early Fall. If you have a fig tree like I do and all of a sudden there are so many of them ripening at the same time, then be sure to keep them in the refrigerator because they can spoil quickly.
There are so many recipes. I love just eating them off the tree. Added to salads, broiled with feta or mascarpone cheese on top, muffins, sauces, in ice cream, the possibilities are endless.
The following recipes are easy and delicious.
Fig Muffins
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup milk, divided
1 cup chopped fresh figs, divided
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Take 1/4 cup of the milk and 1/4 cup of the figs and blend together in the blender. It will be used when ingredients need to be added to the muffin mix.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, stirring just until moistened.
Stir in the blended fig mixture, pecans and chopped figs.
Spoon muffin batter into greased and floured muffin pans, filling three quarters full.
Bake 18 minutes if you are using the mini-muffins or for 20 minutes for regular muffins.
They are best served warm. It will yield 40 mini-muffins or 20 regular muffins.
A Fig Cobbler
5 cups fresh figs, halved
2 tsps. lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
3 tblsps. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Cheddar pastry
Arrange figs evenly in a lightly greased 10 x 6 x 2 inch baking dish
Sprinkle with lemon juice
Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well, and sprinkle over figs.
Dot with butter.
Roll Cheddar Pastry out to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut into 10 x 1/2 inch strips.
Arrange in lattice fashion over the figs.
Trim edges.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.
Cheddar Pastry:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/4 cup or 1 ounce shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons of cold water
Combine flour and salt; cut in shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Stir in cheese.
Sprinkle cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, evenly on top.
Stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.
Shape dough into a ball until ready to use.
Enjoy it and make it your own. Reduce sugar, if you want or use different flours for baking if you have a gluten allergy. Eliminate the nuts if you have that allergy, as well.
Talk to you later….
Tags: Bethany Beach, Delaware Beaches, Delray Beach, Dewey Beach, Fenwick Island, Fig, Fig Cobbler, Fig Muffins, Fig Recipes, Figs, Florida, Lewes, Maryland, Milton, Ocean City, Puerto Rico, Recipes, rehoboth beach
Can I please come by next week when I get home from Philly and pick a few figs???? We have 0 figs on our tree:(
Of course!!