Fashionable Figs

Toasted Vanilla Baked Figs providing looks.

Sep 09, 2023

I am often in pursuit of enhancing flavor. To harness it and unlock potential within an ingredient I think is nothing short of spectacular. The mere act of unlocking hidden potential is thrilling. In this recipe, there is a specific step to toast the vanilla beans and pod into the browned butter right off the stove. The moisture from the vanilla begins a dance of contradiction as the two are at odds with each other. As tensions cool, the butter and the vanilla now create new dialogue carrying on a familiar conversation but with new perspective.

Ingredients:

250g unsalted butter, plus more for buttering

1 vanilla pod, split and scraped of it’s seeds

40g granulated sugar

225g dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

225g almond flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt (diamond crystal)

3 pints of various figs, quartered or halved (they can be all the same, but an assortment is nice)

30g slivered almonds

Method:

Prepare the pan and preheat. Preheat the oven to 325ºF with a rack in the center of the oven. Using a 9” cake pan butter the interior of the pan. In a small mixing bowl, combine half of the vanilla pods seeds to the sugar. Rub the sugar with vanilla until the sugar is evenly coated in vanilla. Evenly coat the buttered cake pan with vanilla sugar by tapping and rotating the pan.

Brown the butter and make the batter. In a medium sized sauce pot, add your butter and place over medium high heat. After about 3-6 minutes when the butter begins to smell toasty and nutty and the bottom of the pot is evenly browned, turn off the heat and immediately add the remaining vanilla seeds and the pod itself. Stir to incorporate and allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl add dark brown sugar and cooled toasted vanilla butter. Using a whisk, mix to combine. Add in both eggs and whisk until smooth. Add in almond flour and salt and mix until there are no visible lumps. Remove the vanilla pod and set aside.

Build your baked figs. Using the cake pan, spread a thin even layer of batter at the base of the pan about 1/4”-1/2” thick with an offset spatula. Spread half of the figs in an even layer over the surface of the base layer. Add half of the remaining batter over the top of the first layer of figs and spread evenly over the figs. Repeat the fig step and finish with the remaining batter spreading out evenly for a smooth surface. Sprinkle the slivered almonds over the top.

Bake and Cool. Bake the figs for 50 minutes up to an hour. It might be slightly longer if needed. The top should be noticeably browned and the center of the baked figs should be just set, not very wobbly, but a little wobble is okay. Allow the baked figs to cool completely to room temperature.

Serve. Using a spoon, portion out the baked figs by treating it like a trifle. Serve the baked figs with powdered sugar over the top, some flaky salt, ice cream, whipped creme fraiche, whatever you want. I tried the baked figs with nothing I felt pretty content.

My objects of affection

It will come as no surprise based off of last weeks column that I love fashion. Although, through the years my relationship with fashion vexes considerably. I think the philosophy that I admire is mixing the higher ticket items with budget conscious elements. An ideal look for me would be Dickies workwear painters pants with a Maryam Nassir Zadeh button-up and Loewe sunglasses. I enjoy the puzzling that is fashion. I ask myself regularly, “how do I look like I care, but I’m not ‘trying’ at all?” I have watched numerous interviews with people who have been idolized for their fashion moments, Rhianna, Yasmin Sewell and Alexa Chung. They all arrive at the same place, fashion is about fun and not taking yourself too seriously.

Here are some of my objects of affection: