We are lucky enough to have a fig tree on the farm. It’s way too high as I didn’t trim it last winter so all the good ripe fruit is getting eaten by the birds instead of me. The edible fig is one of the first plants to be cultivated by humans, dating back to 9400 BC.
These days figs can be hard to get a hold of even when they are in season. You can put this down to the fact that figs don’t transport well. So most of the figs eaten in the middle east are dried and packed into rolls.
This recipe is a sweet little number, really easy and quite tasty.
Fig sponge puddings
(serves 8)
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins
Fig topping
- 125g butter
- 150g light muscovado sugar
- 4 figs, stem removed, skin on, halved
Grease and line 6 small ramekins or pudding dishes. Melt butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add sugar and stir over heat until the mix becomes foamy and pale (2-3 minutes). Pour evenly into the greased ramekins. Place half a fig in each ramekin, flesh side down, and set aside.
Cake Batter
- 225g butter, softened
- 225g caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3 tbsp milk
- 100g LSA
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 150g plain flour
- vanilla ice cream for serving
Preheat oven to 180*C. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In another bowl, lightly beat eggs together with milk. Gradually add eggs to butter and sugar, beating well after each addition. Stir in LSA, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Gently fold in flour. Pour cake mixture over figs, place on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes before sliding a warm knife around the edge of each dish to loosen. Carefully invert to turn puddings out onto serving plates.
Serve warm with toffee cherries, toasted macadamias and vanilla ice cream.
Toffee cherries (makes about 1 cup)
Prep time: 2 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
- 200ml liquid from a jar of cherries
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 4 tbsp cherries, pitted
In a saucepan, combine cherry juice and sugar and place over a high heat. When liquid starts to bubble, add cherries. Reduce heat and continue cooking until liquid has thickened and reduced by about a third.
Toasted macadamias (makes 1 cup)
Prep time: 1 min
Cooking time: 6-8 mins
1 cup whole macadamia nuts
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add macadamia nuts and toast for 6-7 minutes, moving often to avoid burning. Allow to cool, and crush coarsely using the back of a kitchen knife.