Fig Season & Recipe Favorites

Figs are beautiful.

I admire the deep color of the ripened skins. The surprising gradient tones of the interior. Biting into one on its own has a distinct delight. I mean, they are biblical for goodness sake!

The term ‘fig” is an endearing and poetic term my husband used for me when we were dating. It’s a long story but it even became a song!

Learning what to do with an actual fig sent me on a hunt through my baking book indexes.

When fig season arrives at the market, I have three recipes I turn to. The first and simplest comes from one of my culinary role models, Flora Shedden. Cooking down the figs with honey before preparing to transform a pint of mascarpone into a spoonful of bliss by pouring in a healthy sploosh of vanilla bean paste and spiked simple sugar. Whisk it all together and top with figgy jam. It’s enough to make a girl overindulge— it’s so good.

Shedden’s Fig with Honey and Mascarpone recipe and all good things found in this world can be discovered here.

My second favorite fig recipe is a breakfast cake by Skye McAlpine in her recipe book, A Table in Venice. I appreciate the simplicity of the Venetian meals she offers— the ingredients speak for themselves and are heavily laden with spices or sauce. In her book she gives at least four sweet and savory ways to add figs to whatever you’re serving.

McAlpine’s Fig and Mascarpone Cake (apparently these two ingredients are a match made in heaven) is a seven ingredient wonder that is beautifully light and lightly sweet. As I type, I’m stuffing my cheeks full and washing it down with coffee before the children wake for another day of summer fun. They like this cake but most of them eat around the figs.

Finally, my fig season obsession is the Figgy Sour designed by a mixologist at a local Italian bistro. This cocktail is a seasonal menu item. It is dangerously good. I am making it a priority to ask the creator how he does it and I’ll happily report what I learn soon!