Fig And Fennel Scones Recipes

FABULOUS FIG SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly sprinkle flour over paper.
• Whisk flour, oats, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Whisk oil and egg together in a separate bowl until smooth; add honey and mix well. Mix oil mixture into flour mixture just until batter is moistened. Sprinkle sugar over figs in a bowl and toss to coat; fold into batter.
• Transfer batter to the middle of the prepared baking sheet and form into a 7-inch circle.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Score the batter into 8 sections and continue baking until scones are cooked through and lightly browned on top, about 20 minutes more. Cut into 8 scones and slide every other scone back from the circle to allow cooling.

FENNEL AND ORANGE SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, fennel and salt; whisk to combine. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture. Press and work the butter into the flour with your hands until the mixture has a shaggy texture and the butter pieces are no larger than peas.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, orange zest and egg yolk. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula. Continue to gently fold the dough until it just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, making sure to scrape out all the contents of the bowl. Lightly knead the dough together until the ingredients are evenly incorporated and the dough is smooth. Using your hands, press the dough into an 18-by-3 3/4-inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise using a bench scraper, so you have 2 long rectangles. Next, cut the dough every 3 inches crosswise, creating 12 small rectangles. Cut each small rectangle in half diagonally. This will give you 24 scones in the shape of a triangle.
• Place the scones on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches between each. Brush the tops with the egg white. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through cooking, until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes. Serve warm with creme fraiche and jam.

FIG AND FENNEL CAPONATA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch saute pan. Add the onions and fennel and saute for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in the vinegar, tomatoes, figs, and brown sugar, stirring to coat everything with the tomatoes. Stir in the capers, olives, orange zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the orange juice and parsley. Taste for seasonings; the caponata should be very highly seasoned. Serve the caponata warm or at room temperature with slices of grilled bread.

BRAISED FENNEL WITH FRESH FIGS

Steps:

• Chop the onion and two of the figs coarsely and put them in a saucepan large enough to hold all the fennel. Add the chicken stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, cut the dark green ends away from the fennel and reserve for other use or discard. Cut the rest lengthwise into quarters and add them to the pan.
• Cover the pan tightly and let the fennel cook at a very low simmer until it is tender, about 30 minutes. (Note: It is not necessary to cover the fennel with liquid; it will cook evenly in the tightly covered pan.)
• Remove the fennel from the pan juices.
• Puree the pan juices in a food processor or blender, adding lemon juice to taste. Taste for seasoning.
• To serve, cut the tips from the remaining figs and cut them lengthwise into thin slices, leaving them attached at the base. They will fall open into a fan shape. Place one at the edge of each of eight small salad plates.
• Overlap two fennel quarters at the center and spoon some of the puree over the fennel.
• Garnish the rest of the plate with a handful of greens and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.

FIGGY SCONES

Steps:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Whisk together buttermilk, syrup, and 1/2 cup cream in a small bowl. Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment at low speed (or whisk in a large bowl) until combined. Add butter and mix (or blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Mix in figs, then add buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. (Do not overmix.)
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and drop 10 (1/4-cup) mounds of batter onto each sheet, leaving 1 inch between mounds.
• Whisk together yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons cream, then brush over tops of scones (use all of egg wash).
• Bake, switching position of baking sheets halfway through baking, until scones are puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes total.
• Transfer to a rack and cool to warm.

FIG AND FENNEL BREAD

Steps:

• Mix 1 1/4 cups warm water, sugar, and yeast in small bowl. Let stand until mixture bubbles, about 10 minutes. Combine bread flour, 3/4 cup figs, rye flour, fennel seeds, and salt in large bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix using lowest speed; gradually add yeast mixture, mixing until all flour has been incorporated (or to mix by hand, stir vigorously with wooden spoon until dough comes together). Replace paddle with dough hook and knead until smooth and elastic (or to knead by hand, transfer dough to floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes). Place dough in oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out onto work surface and knead gently until deflated. Knead in remaining 3/4 cup figs. Cut dough in half; shape each piece into 12-inch-long loaf. Brush rimmed baking sheet with oil; transfer loaves to sheet, spacing apart. Cover with plastic, then kitchen towel; let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 35 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake bread until crust is golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 45 minutes. Cool bread on rack.