Fig Clafouti

6 servings

Clafoutis are a wonderful quick and beautiful dessert to make with fruit. They originated in the 19th century in France and were traditionally made with cherries. This is adapted from a Food & Wine recipe.

• 1 cup half-and-half or a non-dairy milk substitute
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 t. vanilla
• ½ t. finely grated orange zest
• ¼ cup + 2 T. flour
• melted non-dairy margarine
• ¾ pound halved figs

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush a 9-inch baking dish with melted non-dairy margarine and dust with sugar.

2. In a blender, combine non-dairy milk substitute with ½ cup                sugar, eggs, vanilla and orange zest. Add flour in 3 batches, pulsing for 10 seconds between additions. Let batter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Pulse batter once more and pour into a dish. Set figs, halved side up, in the dish. Bake in preheated 425 F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 375 F. and bake for 20-25 minutes until top is lightly golden and the custard is just set. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Serve warm.

Easy Fig Jam

Three ½-pint jars

This is an easy trick from the well-known food specialist Grace Parisi on the Food & Wine website.

• 2 pounds figs cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1½ cups sugar
• ¼ cup +2 T. fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup water

1. Toss fig pieces with sugar in a saucepan. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes.

2. Add lemon juice and water and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes until fruit is soft and the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops.

3. Spoon into three ½-pint jars, leaving ¼ inch space at top. Close jars and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.

Date, Fig and Nut Loaf

• 1 cup chopped dates
• ½ cup diced figs
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 T. oil
• ¾ cup boiling water
• 6 T. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ cup chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a loaf pan.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine dates, figs, baking soda and oil. Add boiling water and leave for 30 minutes.

3. Add sugar, egg, flour and nuts and combine. Spoon into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, author and compiler/editor of nine kosher cookbooks and food writer for North American Jewish publications, who lives in Jerusalem where she leads walks of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, in English.