Dried Fig And Hazelnut Bread Recipes

DRIED FIG AND HAZELNUT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Butter an 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ loaf pan, or 4 small loaf pans.
• Line with buttered parchment paper, dust lightly with flour.
• Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.
• In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the eggs until they are combined, then slowly whisk in the dry ingredients.
• Stir in the melted butter until it is thoroughly blended, then fold in the figs, cheese, hazelnuts and pepper, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans and rap it sharply on a work surface to release any air bubbles.
• Bake in the center of the oven until the top of the bread is golden, and a tester stuck in the center comes out clean.(40 to 45 minutes for a single loaf, 30 to 35 minutes for smaller loaves.).
• Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out onto a wire cooling rack. After about 5 minutes, peel off the parchment paper.
• Let cool and serve.

SAVORY OLIVE OIL BREAD WITH FIGS AND HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 20 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and pour the hazelnuts onto a clean dishtowel. Fold over the dishtowel and rub the hazelnuts to loosen and remove the skins. Allow to cool completely.
• Place the skinned hazelnuts in a pastry bag or plastic bag and roll over them with a rolling pin, just to break the nuts in half. Set aside. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Oil or butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 (or 8 x 4)-inch bread pan. Line with parchment, oil or butter the parchment, and dust lightly with flour.
• Sift together the flours, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in the fennel seeds.
• In a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in the olive oil and the milk. Add the optional orange zest. Whisk in the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Fold in the hazelnuts and chopped figs.
• Scrape the batter into the bread pan. Place in the oven and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a rack. Remove the parchment after 5 minutes and allow to cool completely. To serve, cut in thin slices and cut the slices in half on the diagonal, or into quarters.

FIG AND HAZELNUT BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch glass casserole dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
• Soak bread slices in a bowl of water until soggy, about 5 minutes. Remove slices from bowl and squeeze out excess water.
• Place bread in a separate bowl and mash using your hands; stir in 1 cup figs, 1 cup apricots, raisins, hazelnuts, brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt until brown sugar is dissolved. Stir egg into bread mixture until evenly mixed. Spoon bread mixture into the prepared casserole dish, smoothing the top with the back of the spoon. Decorate the mixture with 2 sliced figs and 2 sliced apricots; dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges and top of bread pudding are lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Beat cream and honey together in a bowl using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Serve bread pudding warm or cold with a few spoonfuls of honey whipped cream.

FIG-HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE WITH HONEY-BOURBON DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 285 degrees F (140 degrees C). Cover the bottom plate of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil and snap plate into the ring. Coat the sides of the pan with butter.
• Process vanilla cookies in a food processor to yield 2 cups of crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and add butter; use a fork to blend. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Top crust with 1/2 the figs and 1 cup hazelnuts.
• Place cream cheese in a large bowl and beat using an electric mixer on low speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl. Sift sugar and flour together in a bowl and add to the cream cheese mixture. Add sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and hazelnut liqueur, beating thoroughly. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix on low speed until yolks disappear. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes without opening the oven door. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake inside with door closed for 60 minutes more, allowing residual heat to set the cheesecake. Open oven door slightly at 1 hour and leave cheesecake in the cooling oven for another 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool at room temperature for 60 minutes more.
• Refrigerate cheesecake for 1 hour. Unhook pan clasp and slowly remove ring, making sure not to touch the sides of the cake. Place cheesecake in the freezer, covered or uncovered, 8 hours to overnight. Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving.
• Prepare the topping just before serving: Place honey in a microwave-safe bowl and heat slightly. Stir in bourbon. Arrange hazelnuts around edge and in the center of cheesecake. Drizzle honey-bourbon mixture on top.