Tuscan Fruit-Figs
Tuscan Fruits
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Make a cobbler or mousse with figs
By Constance Snow
The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA, July 11, 2002

“One of the best fig desserts I ever tasted was also the simplest. A friend had gathered the fruit that afternoon from her mother’s tree. She served it peeled, sprinkled with sugar and drizzled with cream.
These recipes are a bit more complicated, but all allow the flavor of the fruit to
shine through. You might also try substituting sliced, peeled figs for the
strawberries in a shortcake, or heaping unpeeled figs (stemmed and quartered)
atop whipped cream [or pastry cream] in a tart shell.
The fig cobbler might also be made with peeled and sliced peaches or nectarines. And you could lighten the fig mousse by using plain yogurt to replace part or all
of the sour cream.”
 

Fig Cobbler

Makes 6 servings

Crust
1 cup sifted flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg in bowl of food processor; process for about 15 seconds to blend. Add butter and pulse briefly until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Scrape into a bowl and lightly stir in buttermilk just until moistened. (If you don’t have a food processor, cut the butter into the sifted dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two knives; then stir in the buttermilk.)

Filling and baking
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 cup boiling water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups peeled and quartered figs
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, plus more for greasing baking dish
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees [F]. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest; stir in boiling water. Bring to boil and continue boiling for one minute. Stir in cinnamon and figs. Pour into buttered two-quart baking dish. Dot with butter. Drop batter by spoonfuls over surface. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is browned and filling is bubbly.

Fig Mousse

Makes 8 servings

1 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups mashed, peeled figs
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
3 tablespoons Amaretto, orange liqueur, brandy or rum
Confectioners’ sugar
1 cup chilled heavy cream

Stir together sour cream, mashed figs, lemon zest and liquor. Sweeten to
taste with confectioners’ sugar. Chill thoroughly.
Whip chilled cream to stiff peaks; beat in confectioners’ sugar to taste.
Gently fold one-fourth of the fog mixture into the whipped cream (to lighten); then carefully fold in the remaining fig mixture. Serve immediately as mousse (or freeze in tightly covered container to make frozen mousse).

Figs Poached in Wine

Makes 4 servings

1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 2 large lemons
2 sprigs fresh thyme, optional
12 fresh figs
Sour cream for garnish, optional

Combine the wine, water, sugar, lemon zest and thyme (if using) in a
medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for five minutes.
Add the figs to the syrup and continue to simmer until figs are soft, about
five minutes. Remove from the heat and let the figs cool slightly in the syrup. Remove and discard the thyme.
Divide the figs among four stemmed glasses and spoon the warm syrup and lemon zest over the fruit. Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled, about three hours. Top with a dollop of sour cream if desired.
From Nicole Routhier’s “Fruit Cookbook” (Workman, 1996)
© The Times-Picayune. Used with permission.

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