Warm Fig Pudding Recipes

STICKY FIG PUDDING WITH CANDIED FRESH FIGS

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 7 by 11-inch baking dish.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the figs, cinnamon sticks and 2 cups water to a boil and then let simmer over medium heat until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Discard the cinnamon sticks. Set aside.
• In a food processor, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and vanilla extract until the mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl after each addition, and continue beating until the mixture is light, about 3 minutes. Add the fig mixture and process until pureed. Add the flour and baking soda. Pulse just until a smooth batter forms. Set aside.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until the fig cake is springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
• For the toffee sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, add the brown sugar and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream, bring to a boil, stirring once in a while over moderate heat until it starts to thicken, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Keep warm.
• For the candied figs: In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Let it simmer until it reaches 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Place the figs, flesh-side down, on a tray lined with parchment paper. Pour the sugar mixture over the figs to coat them. Let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes until ready to serve.
• Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the warm fig cake. Drizzle half of the hot toffee sauce over the cake. Return the cake to the oven and bake for 5 minutes longer until the toffee sauce is bubbling around the edges but not fully absorbed.
• Serve the pudding warm with the remaining toffee sauce, ice cream, if desired, and candied figs.

WARM STICKY FIGGY PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the dates, dried figs and water to a medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then add to a blender and puree.
• Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat well. Fold in the flour, the pureed date mixture and the chocolate.
• Put the mixture into 4 buttered, 1-cup individual ramekins, filling halfway or slightly under. Put in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Prepare the sauce by stirring the sugar and cream in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until incorporated.
• Remove the ramekins from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. May be served in the ramekin or unmolded onto a small serving plate. With paring knife cut a cross in the top of the puddings for the sauce.
• Pour the sauce into the cross in the center of each pudding, then pour more sauce over the puddings and it allow to soak in slightly. Top with fresh figs and vanilla ice cream or heavily whipped cream. Serve warm.

FIGGY PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a a medium saucepan, heat milk and chopped figs over medium-low heat but do NOT bring to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. The the milk will soften the figs.
• In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs one minute on high. Reduce speed to low and add butter, bread crumbs, orange peel, and warm fig mixture.
• Slowly incorporate flour mixture. Beat until just blended.
• Pour the mix into the greased bundt pan. Level top as much as possible. Cover the mold with a piece of aluminum foil greased on one side, greased side down.
• Place the mold in a roasting pan and place on oven rack. fIll with hot tap water 2 inches up the side of the mold. Bake for 2 hours or until the pudding is firm and it is pulling away from the side of the bundt pan.
• Remove the pudding from the water bath. Remove the foil and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before unmolding. Invert bundt pan onto a serving plate and remove mold. It should come away easily.
• Serve with a hard sauce.

FIGGY PUDDING

Steps:

• Gently heat buttermilk and figs in a saucepan over medium-low heat until softened, 10 to 15 minutes; set aside until cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a tube pan.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on high for 1 minute. Add fig-and-buttermilk mixture, bread crumbs, butter, almonds, orange marmalade, orange zest, and orange-vanilla flavoring to the beaten eggs; beat on low speed until blended. Gradually add flour mixture while beating until just incorporated into a batter. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Grease a sheet of aluminum foil; use to cover pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until firm and pulling away from sides of the pan, about 2 hours. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

INDIVIDUAL FIG OR APRICOT STEAMED PUDDINGS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 2 cups figs (or apricots), 1 cup water, and the brandy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes, just until figs are plumped (there should still be 1 cup liquid in the pan). Transfer the mixture, with all the liquid, to a food processor, and process until pureed. Set aside.
• Place remaining figs in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water, and let soak until fruit is plump, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly, and set aside.
• Using a pastry brush, butter eight 2- or 3-cup pudding molds and their lids (or use eight circles of parchment paper cut several inches larger than mold for lids). Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until softened and well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until each is incorporated. Add vanilla and reserved fig purée, and beat until combined, about 1 minute.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set the mixer on low speed, and gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with milk, to the fig mixture, in two additions each. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Place jam in a small saucepan, and heat, stirring, over medium heat just until warm. Spoon about 1 tablespoon warm jam into bottom of each pudding mold. Cut the reserved figs in half lengthwise, and arrange 8 to 10 halves cut sides up, on the bottoms of each of the molds, overlapping slightly. (Dried apricots do not need to be cut. Arrange 8 to 10 as above in the bottom of each mold.) Pour 1 cup batter into each mold. Tap molds sharply on counter several times to distribute batter evenly and to eliminate air bubbles. Cover each mold with its lids or parchment paper secured with a rubber band. (If using parchment, place a layer of aluminum foil on top of the paper to prevent water from coming in contact with the puddings.) Puddings may be made up to this point and refrigerated for 1 day. (If refrigerated, leave puddings at room temperature for 1 hour before steaming).
• To steam the puddings, place a 10-inch round rack in the bottom of an 8- to 10-quart stockpot; place three or four molds (depending on the size of the molds, either three or four will fit at one time) on the rack. Remaining puddings may sit at room temperature or be refrigerated for about 45 minutes while others are steaming. (Do not refrigerate puddings the entire steaming time, or they will be too cold to cook properly.) Pour enough boiling water into the pot to reach halfway up the sides of molds. Cover, and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, and gently steam puddings until a toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean, 2 hours to 2 hours 20 minutes. Transfer molds to a cooling rack; when cool enough to handle, remove lids. Let sit, uncovered, for about 5 minutes for puddings; turn out onto serving plates. Serve warm with chilled brandy sauce.
• To rewarm fig or apricot puddings: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer puddings from refrigerator to a rimmed baking sheet. Keep puddings in molds with their lids. Place in oven. Heat for 40 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted into pudding comes out very hot to the touch. Using a pot holder or kitchen towel, carefully unmold puddings onto serving plates. Serve warm with brandy sauce.

WARM FIG PUDDING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine 1 cup figs, 1/2 cup water, and the brandy; cook 15 minutes. Puree in the bowl of a food processor; set aside.
• Place remaining 1/2 cup figs and the apricots in a small bowl. Cover with hot water, and let soak until fruit is plump. Drain thoroughly, and set aside.
• Butter a 5-cup pudding bowl and a circle of parchment paper several inches larger than bowl, and set both aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in fig puree. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to butter-fig mixture alternately with milk.
• Spoon jam into bottom of pudding bowl. Arrange fruit on bottom and sides of bowl. Pour in batter. Cover bowl with parchment, and secure with a rubber band; cover with aluminum foil. Place a rack in a 10-quart stockpot; put bowl on rack. Pour boiling water into pot to reach halfway up sides of bowl. Cover pot; steam pudding for 2 hours and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove bowl from pot, and let sit, uncovered, for 15 minutes before turning out the pudding onto a serving plate.