This week’s recipe involves fresh figs and dried dates that come together in a spiced oatmeal cookie, the perfect way to start off fall baking. The cookie is equal parts chewy and crispy with the presence of chunks of fresh figs and dates and the oats. I’ve also built in a deep layer of caramel flavor in the cookie that really helps bring out the aroma of the ingredients. One of the ways to build and intensify caramelization in recipes is by adding a tiny amount of baking soda. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is alkaline and it raises the pH (fewer hydrogen ions). The new higher pH now helps the sugars present in the fruit, the butter, and the sugar to enter and quickly proceed through the caramelization reaction (the reaction that produces bittersweet flavors and caramel color in foods like baked cakes and flans) as the mixture heats in the saucepan. You’ll see the mixture quickly foam and then transition from a light toffee brown color into a darker shade of caramel in just a few minutes. Just don’t go too dark or black, you won’t like the taste of that. I’ve kept the spices in the cookie straightforward, a hint of black pepper, a little cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla to play well with the fruit and caramel. Bake them and be prepared to get engulfed by all those lovely fragrances emanating from your oven. Before we jump into the recipe, since this is fig season, I want to share a few more recipes that I think you’ll enjoy,
Fig Leaf Syrup – Before it gets too cool and the fig trees drop their leaves, grab a few fresh leaves, and prepare this delicious fig leaf syrup. Now here’s the interesting part, it won’t taste anything like figs but instead, it will remind you of a very fragrant syrup made from toasted coconuts. Mix it with chilled water or soda and you’ll have yourself a refreshing drink. I also use the syrup over fresh fruit for a light dessert or to flavor other sweet recipes. This Upside-Down Fig Cake is one of the most popular recipes that I created for my column at the San Francisco Chronicle. The cake carries a distinct caramel aroma combined with ghee and cardamom. For a more tropical take, try my Almond Fig Cake that’s served topped with a Tangy tamarind Frosting from The New York Times.
No reviews 1 cup/140 g all-purpose flour ½ cup/100 g sugar 12 to 13/200 g pitted, dried dates, chopped 3 ½ oz/100 g fresh figs, chopped ½ cup/110 g unsalted butter, cubed ½ tsp baking soda 1 large egg, cold and lightly whisked 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp finely ground black pepper ½ tsp ground cinnamon Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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