dry fruits

Dried Fig

Iranian Figs are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps to control blood pressure. Fig is high in iron, calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, chlorine, sulfurous, copper and vitamin A, B and C. Iranian dried fig is another kind of dried fruit which is very high in sugar (roughly 60%). Fig has a tasty, nutritious and energy booster fruit consumed fresh or dry. They are dried either naturally by exposure to the sun or by dehydrators to be consumed at any time of the year. Depending to the size, the figs are categorized in various groups but the main properties remain the same. It’s worth mentioning that dried fig has 5 times as much sugar as the fresh one.

Now we want to give you some recipes with dried figs Hope you enjoy:*

Fig bars

Ingredients

Crust

1/2

cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4

cup granulated sugar

1/4

teaspoon vanilla

1

cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

Filling

1/4

cup granulated sugar

1

cup boiling water

1

bag (9 oz) dried Mission figs, chopped (1 cup)

Topping

1/4

cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1/4

cup packed brown sugar

3

tablespoons cold butter (do not use margarine)

1/4

cup quick-cooking oats

1/4

cup chopped walnuts

Method

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. On low speed, beat in 1 cup flour until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until center is set.
2. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, cook filling ingredients over medium-high heat 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until figs are tender and most of liquid is absorbed. Spread over crust.
3. In small bowl, mix 1/4 cup flour, the brown sugar and 3 tablespoons butter, using pastry blender or fork, until crumbly. Stir in oats and walnuts. Sprinkle over filling.
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until edges are bubbly and topping is light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

Enjoy.

dry fruits

Rye pizza with figs, fennel, gorgonzola & hazelnuts

Ingredients

For the dough

active dried yeast                                                                                                                               5g

strong white flour                                                                                                                          250g

’00’ flour                                                                                                                                        125g

rye flour                                                                                                                                        125g

sugar                                                                                                                                             ½ tsp 

olive oil                                                                                                                                        1 tsp 

semolina flour, for dusting

For the topping

large fennel bulb                                                                                                                              1

small lemon juice                                                                                                                                 1/2

olive oil                                                                                                                                               1 tsp 

medium onions                                                                                                                                      2

fennel seed                                                                                                                                            ¼ tsp 

a little extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

dried figs                                                                                                                                                    12

balsamic vinegar                                                                                                                                   ½ tsp 

gorgonzola                                                                                                                                            180g

hazelnuts, halved and toasted                                                                                                               2 tbsp

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Method

1. To make the dough, mix the yeast in a small bowl with 2 tbsp warm water and 1 tbsp strong white flour. Leave somewhere warm to ‘sponge’ for 20 mins or so (this dissolves and activates the yeast). Tip the three flours into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the sponged yeast, 1 tsp salt, sugar, oil and 290ml warm water, and mix to form a wet dough. Knead for 10 mins until satiny and elastic, then put in a clean bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to double in size for 2 1/2 – 3 hrs.

2. Quarter the fennel bulb lengthways and remove any tough outer leaves. Trim the base of each, thinly slice with a knife or mandolin, then put in a bowl with the lemon juice so it doesn’t turn brown.

3. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and a pinch of salt, and fry over a medium heat for 7 mins. Add 1-2 tbsp of water, season with pepper, cover and cook on a low heat for 10 mins until softened. Add most of the fennel, along with the fennel seeds and seasoning, and cook for 3 mins, stirring every so often. If the mixture is still wet, uncover and bubble off any liquid.

4. An hour before cooking, heat the oven to its highest setting and put a baking sheet or pizza stone in to heat. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead it a little, then halve and roll each piece into a circle or rough square. Lift the dough and, while rotating, stretch with your fingertips until each piece is 30-32cm across and as thin as possible with a slightly thicker edge.

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5. Sprinkle two large baking sheets with semolina and put the pizza bases on them. Top each base with the cooked onion and fennel mix, then the pieces of raw fennel, leaving a 3cm border. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Put the halved figs on top and spoon on a little balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar. Grind over some pepper. Carefully slide the first pizza onto the heated baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 8-12 mins until the dough is golden and the figs caramelised. Halfway through the cooking time, dot the pizza with the cheese. Scatter on the toasted hazelnuts and any reserved fennel fronds. Repeat with the second pizza.

Enjoy.

dry fruits

Fig rolls

Ingredients

For the sponge

dried figs, chopped into small pieces                                                                                                     4

hot strong coffee or espresso                                                                                                           75ml

blanched hazelnuts                                                                                                                           100g

slightly salted butter, very soft, plus a little for greasing                                                                 200g

light muscovado sugar                                                                                                                     225g

plain flour                                                                                                                                         200g

baking powder                                                                                                                                  2tsp

vanilla extract                                                                                                                                   2tsp

mixed spice                                                                                                                                       2tsp

natural yogurt                                                                                                                                    50g

large eggs                                                                                                                                             4

For the icing

pack slightly salted butter, very soft                                                                                                250g

vanilla extract or bean paste                                                                                                             2tsp

icing sugar                                                                                                                                       400g

tub full-fat cream cheese                                                                                                                 250g

fig jam or conserve                                                                                                                         6tbsp

To decorate

figs, halved or quartered                                                                                                                10_12

caramel                                                                                                                                           200g

dry fruits

Method

1. First, make the sponge. Put the dried figs in a bowl and pour over the coffee. Leave to soak for 30 mins. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the hazelnuts onto a baking tray and toast in the oven for 5-8 mins until golden brown and aromatic. Tip 75g of the nuts into a food processor (set aside the rest for later) and leave to cool for 10 mins. Meanwhile grease the base and sides of a 20 x 30cm rectangular cake tin with butter and line with baking parchment.

2. Whizz the cooled nuts until finely chopped. Add the soaked figs and any remaining coffee, and whizz again to a paste. Add the remaining sponge ingredients to the processor with a good pinch of salt. Blend until well combined, scraping down the sides once or twice and blending again. Scrape into your cake tin, level the surface and bake for 25 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then flip onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment and leave to cool.

3. While the cake cools, make the icing. Put the butter, vanilla and half the sugar in a large bowl. Roughly mash together with a spatula, then blend with an electric hand whisk until smooth. Add the cream cheese and the remaining icing sugar, mash, then blend again until smooth. Split the icing into 2 batches, one for layering and a crumb coat, and one for a final coat. You can chill the icing while the cake cools, but remove it from the fridge 15 mins before using to bring back to room temperature.

4. Now assemble the cake. Transfer the cooled cake to a chopping board. Score the sponge at 10cm intervals along the length of the cake, marking out 3 sections, 20 x 10cm each. Cut through, then stack the cakes on top of each other to check they are the same size. Trim any uneven edges, then unstack.

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5. Put 1 sponge on a cake board or plate. Spread with a little icing and 3 tbsp fig jam, keeping the jam about 1cm from the edges. Top with another sponge, more icing and jam, then sandwich with the final sponge. Use a palette knife to cover the entire cake with the remaining first batch of icing (the crumb coat) – don’t worry if it’s a little messy. Make sure you fill any gaps between the layers with icing. Once covered, chill for at least 30 mins to firm up the icing. Chill the remaining icing too, but bring it out of the fridge 10-15 mins before the cake so it is ready for spreading.

6. Decorate the cake. Remove it from the fridge and cover with the remaining icing. Use a palette knife to create smooth edges, or leave it fairly rough, if you like. Top the cake with the figs, pointy ends up. Put the caramel in a small piping bag, snip off the corner and drizzle over the top of the cake, encouraging it down the sides (or just drizzle it over with a spoon). Roughly chop the remaining toasted nuts and scatter over the top. Serve in slices with extra figs on the side, if you like. Keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 days, but bring to room temperature before eating.

Enjoy.

dry fruits

Sticky toffee fig rolls

Ingredients

For the pastry

plain flour, plus extra for rolling                                                                                                140g

wholemeal flour                                                                                                                           85g

golden caster sugar                                                                                                                       50g

mixed spice                                                                                                                              1/2 tsp

cold unsalted butter, diced                                                                                                         140g

medium egg yolk                                                                                                                              1

For the filling

soft dried figs                                                                                                                             200g

zest and juice orange                                                                                                                        1

golden caster sugar                                                                                                                     50g

chewy toffees                                                                                                                            100g

dry fruits

Method

1. Tip the flours, sugar, spice, a pinch of salt and the butter into a food processor and pulse until it has the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and pulse again until you have a pastry. Wrap in cling film and leave to chill for 1 hr.

2. While the pastry is chilling, tip the figs, orange zest and juice and the sugar into a saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 10 mins or until sticky like a chutney. Leave to cool slightly, then blitz in a food processor. Leave the mixture to cool completely, then fold through the toffees and set aside.

3. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle the same size as an A4 piece of paper. Cut lengthways down the middle to give you 2 long pastry strips. Spoon half the filling down 1 side of each pastry strip, leaving a slight border at the edge. Brush the edges with water and fold the pastry over to seal – like making a sausage roll. Make a fork print along the top. Place the rolls seal-side down on a baking tray and bake for 20 mins until brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then cut the rolls into 8 pieces. Will keep in a biscuit tin for up to 1 week.

Enjoy.

dry fruits

Fig Truffles

Ingredients

finely ground walnuts                                                                                                               190 g

ground cinnamon                                                                                                                      1tps

dried figs (about 10), stems removed                                                                                       1 cup

Tbsp orange blossom water (or orange juice)

Splash of olive (or vegetable) oil for greasing your hands

Instructions

1. Put half the ground walnuts and all the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until it forms a smooth but firm paste.

(You may need to add more orange blossom water if your figs are extra large or dry.)

2. Grease your hands with the oil and roll the paste into small balls.
3. Roll the balls in the remaining ground walnuts.
4. Store in the fridge to firm them up, if desired.

Method

Make these for grown-ups by substituting Cointreau (or similar orange liqueur) for half (or all) of the orange blossom water. 2. Mix up the flavors and try different coatings such as unsweetened cocoa powder or dried coconut. Use ground almonds instead of walnuts. Throw in different dried fruits, such as apricots, cranberries, cherries or even the humble raisin. The fun of these truffles is that you can so easily make up new mixes. 3. These will keep for a long time, since the only fresh ingredient is the orange zest, but I haven’t had to put them to the test as they get eaten fairly quickly. I’d say if you’re going to keep them for longer than a week, refrigerate them to be safe.

Enjoy.