Thursday 20 September 2007

SHF #35 Figs and Flowery Fig Fools

This month's Sugar High Friday is hosted by the lovely Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice. Ivonne chose figs as her theme, and when she announced it I commented on her blog with the following.

'My favourite fig memory… Picking them fresh from a tree and eating them right away while walking with my hubby in Andalucia, Spain. Earliest fig memory: chewy fig rolls (biscuits) at my maternal Great Grandmothers home. Yummy, yummy figs and a great theme Ivonne!'

Nigella Lawson recreated (reproduced?) a recipe for her book How to Eat using a recipe by Pat Harrison on Masterchef. Turkish Delight Figs (pg 390) and though I love the syrup, I've always preferred it with apricots than figs. That said I immediately thought of the recipe and wondered if using the syrup with the figs it would work as a fool.... I've just eaten too much of it and I can tell you it definitely works as a fool.
Flowery Fig Fools (Could serve a minimum of 6 people)
I tinkered with the syrup recipe as I don't like it too flowery.
You'll need one carton of whipping cream for the fool.

For the syrup

175ml water
175g sugar
1 tablespoon rosewater (Nigella says to use 2 tablespoons of each, which I would find too much.)
1 tablespoon orange-flower water
juice of 1 lemon
Add the sugar and water to a pan, heat and stir until sugar dissolved, then boil for 5 minutes.
Take off the heat and add the flower waters and the lemon juice. Put it back on the heat and then boil for 2 minutes.
I only used 4 figs (which was ample, Nigella says to use 12 but then you'd be using them with all of the syrup and in a different way), washed and cut into quarters I put them in an earthenware dish and poured over approximately half of the hot/warm syrup. Left to one side to cool. I then whipped up one 284ml carton of whipping cream, put in the fridge ready for assembly.
I took out 2 pieces of fig to use as decoration later, then tipped the fig and syrup mix into a mini blender and whizzed it up for 2 minutes.
Then came assemble time. I would suggest small glasses in which case this would easily feed 6-8 people, more if you used little espresso cups. I then layered the cream and the syrupy fig mix.
I had some of the syrupy fig mix left over which I mixed with the remaining flower syrup which I'd put to one side. This will be really good poured over ice cream.... I don't have to try it to tell you how good it is, I just know it will be.

24 comments:

FH said...

Great looking entries for Fig SHF. I have never cooked with Figs yet,got to try!:))

Anonymous said...

These figs look simply amazing. And yes please, over ice cream would be lovely but I would just love to dig my spoon into that layered cream.

Aimée said...

Oh, looks rich and good. Beautiful presentation, Amanda!

KellytheCulinarian said...

Looks delicious and oh-so-elegant in that presentation.

Kelly-Jane said...

What a fabulous entry for figs SHF! I'll have to go and have a look at HTE... They look really good, and I like that you've layered them as well, yum!

Anh said...

Beautiful creation. I love those - so classy!

african vanielje said...

I love figs and this recipe is just gorgeous. Do you think it needs both flower waters?

Anonymous said...

Amanda,

You have outdone yourself! They're just gorgeous and I only wish I could dig into one of those. The figs look wonderful as well. There's nothing as beautiful as a fig in season!

Cynthia said...

An excellent presentation and an excellent dessert.

Meeta K. Wolff said...

These look lovely Amanda! May i have a spoon or four please? Lol!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Asha, thank you, I normally prefer them raw or in a fig roll.

Hi Veron, thank you, they were really good I think if I did it again as a fool I may put even less flower water in.

Hi Aimee and Kelly, thank you v much.

Hi Kelly-Jane, thank you, it was good layered because you got the separate flavours and nicer to then mix it up in the glass while eating. ;)

Hi Anh, thank you so much.

Hi AV, As I've only ever made the syrup using both (but always with less than suggested in How to Eat) I'm not sure. Now you've got me intrigued, I might make the syrup with one of each to see which of the three is better.

Thank you for your comments.
Amanda x

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Ivonne, Thank you very much, it was a fun one for my first SHF! Uncooked perfectly ripe figs are perfect indeed.

Hi Cynthia, Thank you very much.


Hi Meeta, of course, there's one in the fridge for you. ;)

Thank you for your comments.
Amanda x

Cottage Smallholder said...

Having just acquired full fig picking rights on my neighbours’ tree I can't wait to try this. It looks wonderful. Thanks.

Maggie said...

I popped by just to say - can I have one of those please? They look amazing.

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Fiona, you lucky thing! I love fresh figs.

Hi Margaret, of course you can, pop by anytime. Followed by a yummy main I think they'd be worth making a journey for.

Amanda x

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Those fig desserts looks soooo tempting! I have never had fresh fig in my life... I think it is time to try! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Margot

Helene said...

This looks delicious and great presentation...anythign with cream...Really nice!

Anonymous said...

Love the theme, figs are such funny but flavoursome fruit. I remember them as hard dried figs, which to this day I still love, though I'm not sure they still love me!

The fool looks delightful, and anything that calls for the heady scents of rosewater and orange blossom water aare good in my book!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Margot, you should definitely try them. All figs I've eaten fresh recently have been really sweet, I've had them some years and they've seemed to have little flavour.

Hi Helen, thank you, your creation of course looked amazing.

Hi Tash, not sure they love us either, if you get my gist!

Thank you for your comments.
Amanda x

Elle said...

I can just imagine how well the floweriness goes with the figs. Mmmm. Gorgeous photos, too.
By the way, I've tagged you for a meme. Hope you'll play :)

Marie Rayner said...

Amanda that does look delicious. I have some figs here waiting for me to do something with them. I was thinking a salad but I might give your fool a try!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Elle, I'm very behind on tags from the Summer but I'll add this one to them. I might do them all in one go... teehee! Page after page all about me - that would send you all to sleep!

Hi Marie, if you do I hope you enjoy it - we certainly did.

Thank you for your comments.
Amanda x

Jann said...

What a gorgeous creation~something I really need to try and dive into-Cheers!

Anonymous said...

I thought it was a very good drink..at first i wasnt really sure on what it was. but it looked very good. :)
i just absoutely love trying foods from different countrys other then the United States where i live.

Madi :) !!!

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