Raspberry Fig Dessert Recipes

RASPBERRY-FIG BARS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Divide the dough in half and shape into two 2-by-6-inch rectangles. Wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the dried figs, jam and juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the juice is syrupy, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour 1 piece of dough and roll it out between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a 4-by-12-inch rectangle. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the top pieces of parchment and trim the edges of the dough rectangles. Spread the filling lengthwise down the center of each dough rectangle in a 2-inch-wide strip. Brush the long edges lightly with the beaten egg. Fold 1 long side of dough over the filling, then fold over the other long side; press gently to seal. Place both logs seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, a few inches apart, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the cookie logs until golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through, about 20 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes on the pan. Transfer the logs to a cutting board; slice into 1-inch pieces and transfer to racks to cool completely.

RASPBERRY FIG DESSERT RECIPE

Steps:

• Chop 4 figs; mash with berries in large bowl. Stir in sugar. Spoon evenly into 8 parfait glasses.
• Whisk cream cheese, marshmallow creme and milk until blended; spoon over berry mixture in glasses.
• Cut remaining figs into quarters; place piece on each parfait. Sprinkle parfaits with cinnamon; garnish with mint.

RASPBERRY-FIG PULL-APART COOKIES

Steps:

• Pulse together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a food processor until smooth. Add the flour and butter and pulse until the dough just comes together in a solid mass (chunks of butter should be visible), about 6 to 8 long pulses. Shape the dough into a rectangle about 1/2-inch-thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Wipe out the food processor.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the figs, raspberry jam and juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the figs are plump and the juice is syrupy, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree in the food processor until smooth and set aside to cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously spray the back side of a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
• Put the chilled dough between 2 pieces of parchment. Roll out the dough into an 11-by-13-inch rectangle and 1/8-inch-thick (see Cook's Note). Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove the top piece of the parchment, to free it from the dough, then place it back on top. Turn the dough over and remove the top piece of parchment. Spread the fig mixture evenly over the dough.
• Roll the dough into a log using the parchment as a guide (the dough is very soft and the parchment will make it easier to roll). Transfer the log to the prepared baking sheet, brush with the egg wash and coat with the sanding sugar. Cut 20 slits across the log, about 1/2-inch apart. Each slit should go about three-quarters of the way through the log so that it is still completely intact. Bend about a quarter of the log by turning some of the newly cut "tabs" out so that the pinwheels of filling are facing up. Continue turning the "tabs" out and bending the log until you have a ring. Butt the ends up against each other.
• Spray the outside of a 3 1/2-inch round ramekin with cooking spray and place in the center of the ring. Chill the shaped rugelach dough for 30 minutes. Bake until cooked through and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove the ramekin and let the ring cool for 5 minutes then slide a flat spatula underneath to free the ring from the baking sheet. Gently slide the ring onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before serving.

FIG & RASPBERRY CRUMBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin. Make the crumble topping by rubbing the flour and butter together with your fingertips until you have a crumbly mixture. Stir in the sugar.
• For the cake, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Sift the flour and add the almonds and baking powder. Fold in 1 large tbsp of the flour mixture into the batter, then add the rest, alternating with the yogurt.
• Snip the stalks off the figs. Halve four of them and chop the rest. Stir the chopped figs and one-third of the raspberries into the batter, then scrape into the prepared tin. Lay the halved figs on top and sprinkle on half the remaining raspberries. Scatter on the crumble, then the rest of the raspberries, then the flaked almonds.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hr 15 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean (check it after 1 hr). Leave in the tin for about 15 mins, then run a palette knife around the outside of the cake, carefully unclasp the surround, remove the base and the parchment, and slide the cake onto a serving plate. Serve with crème fraîche.

FIG AND RASPBERRY CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Make the Croustades: Place dough on a lightly floured work surface; lightly flour dough. Using a rolling pin, press the dough firmly in parallel strokes close to one another. Continue pressing with rolling pin, adding a pinch of flour to dough between strokes, until dough becomes more malleable.
• Continue rolling dough back and forth without rolling over the ends (which may make ends thinner and stick to surface). Turn dough 90 degrees, and continue rolling in the other direction; roll dough, changing directions as necessary, into a 15 1/2-inch square. Carefully transfer dough to a large baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap; transfer to refrigerator and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Using a sharp pizza wheel, trim edges of dough and cut into nine 5-inch squares. Fold each square of dough, corner to corner, to form a triangle. Using the pizza wheel, make a cut over the fold on both sides about 1/2 inch from the edge of the triangle.
• Unfold triangles back into squares. Pierce the inner squares at 1/2-inch intervals using the tines of a fork. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and salt; brush inner squares lightly with egg mixture.
• Fold the outer corners of each square over to the opposite inside corners, one at a time.
• Using a floured fingertip, press the borders down and indent the sides of each croustade at 1/4-inch intervals with the dull side of a paring knife. Place croustades on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, or cover and chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack set in the center of the oven. Bake croustades until well risen and deep golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove croustades from baking sheet and remove some of the puff pastry layers from the center by loosening the sides of the inner squares with a fork and lifting out, also removing any unbaked dough in the process. If you would like to use the removed layers as covers for the filling, return them to baking sheets along with the croustades; return to oven until centers have cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the Creme Anglaise: In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, cream, sugar, vanilla bean, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil over low heat. Meanwhile, set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl; set medium bowl in a larger bowl prepared with an ice-water bath. Whisk yolks in another medium bowl.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove vanilla bean, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick from boiling milk mixture; discard. Whisk 1/3 of the milk mixture into the bowl with egg yolks. Return remaining milk mixture to a boil and, while whisking, gradually add egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Continue whisking until mixture thickens slightly, about 15 seconds.
• Remove from heat and pour through strainer set over prepared bowl. Continue whisking mixture until it cools slightly, about 30 seconds. Let stand until completely cooled. Transfer creme anglaise to an airtight container and keep refrigerated until ready to use. This can be done up to 1 day in advance.
• Make the Fig and Raspberry Filling: Stem, peel, and chop figs, reserving 5 whole figs to finish croustades, and place them in a large bowl. Add raspberries, reserving 18 to finish croustades. Cover and set aside at room temperature. This can be done up to 1 day in advance.
• Heat jam in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Let jam reduce slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool for at least 15 minutes.
• Fold the cooled jam into the fig and raspberry mixture. Place croustades on individual plates. Spoon the mixture into the center of each croustade. Halve remaining figs; top each croustade with a fig half, cut side up, and reserved raspberries. Spoon some of the creme anglaise onto the plate and serve immediately.

RASPBERRY AND FIG CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and coat with bread crumbs.
• In a bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the granulated sugar and eggs at high speed until fluffy, 2 minutes. Beat in the butter and two-thirds of the zest.
• At low speed, alternately beat in the flour and lime juice until almost incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the batter until smooth.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Gently press in the raspberries and figs.
• Bake the cake on the bottom third of the oven for 40 minutes. Transfer to the upper third of the oven and continue baking for 35 minutes longer, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.
• Transfer the cake to a rack to cool. Run a thin knife around the edge and release the springform. Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar. Sprinkle with the remaining lime zest, cut into wedges and serve.

RASPBERRY AND FIG GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Arrange raspberries and figs in 10-inch-diameter broilerproof baking dish. Stir sour cream until smooth; spoon evenly over fruit. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Broil close to heat source until brown sugar melts and bubbles, about 4 minutes. Garnish with mint and serve warm.

RASPBERRY FIG SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine figs, water, honey and vanilla bean in a saucepan.
• Stir over a low heat until honey dissolves. Bring to the boil then simmer until figs are tender and liquid has reduced to a thick syrup, stirring frequently for about 20 minutes.
• Stir in frozen raspberries and continue to simmer until sauce thickens to required consistency, about 5 minutes.