Monday, January 11, 2010

Fig and Walnut Loaf


This is one of those recipes that we totally forget about until the temperatures drop, and then it's all we can think about.  We normally only eat sweets after dinner, but this bread makes a wonderful afternoon snack when served with honeyed cream cheese and a pot of tea.   Yes, thanks to the chill in the air and frost on the ground, Anglophilia is alive and well in Texas.


Fig and Walnut Loaf

Ingredients

4           oz           (one stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2     cups        unbleached A.P. flour
1           tsp           baking soda
1/2        tsp           baking powder
1/2        tsp           salt
1/4        tsp           cinnamon
1/8        tsp           allspice
pinch                     nutmeg
7           oz             dried Mission figs, stems removed and diced
1          cup            packed light-brown sugar
2                           eggs at room temp
1/2       cup           sour cream
2          oz             walnuts, chopped

Procedure
  1. Heat oven to 300° convection (325° conventional).  Butter pyrex loaf pan.
  2. Combine dry (flour through salt) and set aside.
  3. Heat 1/2 cup water in the microwave until starts to simmer.  Add a third of the figs to the water and leave to soften, about 10 minutes.  Puree in food processor until smooth and thick.
  4. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well each time.  Scrape down a few times.  Add dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined.  Add sour cream and pureed fig and mix on low until just combined.  Add chopped figs and walnuts.
  5. Fill prepared pan and bang on your counter a few times to level.  Bake until cooked through to center and top is springy, about 1 hour.
  6. Store at room temperature.  Keeps several days.
  7. Serve plain, or with honeyed cream cheese.

StumbleUpon.com

19 comments:

  1. I love figs and also this kind of recipe...I'd toast this and melt some fontina cheese on it and be in heaven.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an innovative combination of flavors and textures with the figs and walnuts! Chewy and crunchy in one bite!

    Regards,
    CCR
    =:~)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Another excuse to use figs. I'm sold.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This looks and sounds delicious! We had to freeze our figs this fall, but now with a dehydrator (picked up one at the thrift store) we can dry them this year. Thanks for the recipe. Diana

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looks delicious! Anything with figs and nuts is an instant fave in my books. :) I bet this recipe would make some tasty muffins, too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think that honeyed cream cheese also sounds like a great idea. You're onto a winner.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This already looked good, but when you mentioned honeyed cream cheese, I was hooked. Yum.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh I do like the look of this. I love figs.

    ReplyDelete
  9. this looks amazing...especially paired with a hot cup of tea in the afternoon.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Perfect recipe! I am freezing in Dallas too! Plus I have a couple bags of figs in my pantry that need to be consumed!
    By the way, if interested, I am giving away some goodies I brought back with me from Lebanon, organic spices and grains.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I LOVE figs, and I love this loaf!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh I love figs, also with honeyed cream cheese, yummy!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great recipe Robin! figs, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, what a combi!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This sounds wonderful. I've never cooked with figs -- I always just eat them out of the bag -- but perhaps I should exert some discipline and save a few for baking.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I would love to eat this for breakfast. Love the deep, dark, rich color.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Figs, oh figs, they are a welcome addition to anything. This looks dense and moist and delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I made this. No dried figs, so I used figs preserved in light syrup and frozen, well drained, and extra walnuts. Turned out very well. We ate it as dessert tonight. DH wants to toast it for breakfast tomorrow.

    Thank you for sharing this delicious treat.

    ReplyDelete

Comments welcome

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.