fig and almond muffins

wow...it is hot. like breathing in fire and exhaling smoke...its hot. why am i cooking? the farmers markets have been bountiful and our fridge is overflowig in beautiful colors so i need to.
i let littlefoodie do the shopping at our sunday morning farmers market and it ended up being purple day. teeny-tiny purple fingerling potatoes that i cannot wait to turn up and roast to a salty crispness. purple, white and light orange carrots that are sweet and crisp and ready for crunchiing. fresh and dried figs so juicy and bright. and the tomatoes, all colors, all sweeteness and juicy!
this morning i made lovely almond fig muffins adapted from a cookinglight recipe. littlefoodie is in love with all things fig...dried figs only so i get to enjoy the fresh ones all alone...mineminemine.
these are light and delicious and full of fiber and goodness!

enjoy!

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 3/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup dried organic figs (your choice)
2 tbl olive oil
1 lg organic egg

topping:
3 tbl organic brown sugar
1/4 cup oats
1 tbl organic coconut oil, melted (or unsalted organic butter)
1/2 cup organic sliced almonds

preheat oven to 400F.

grease muffin tins. combine flour thru cinnamon and stir with a whisk. make a well.

in a food processor blend the amond milk thru egg. pour into the dry ingredients and fold to combine.

spoon into muffin tins.

mix up brown sugar, oats, coconut oil and almonds. sprinkle over muffins. bake for 18 min.

maple and fig muffins

apparently i love to make muffins. i didn't realize this until starting this blog. littlefoodie jr. is always happy that i am once again baking ANOTHER variety of muffins.
these are delicious and he couldn't get enough but it seems like i say that with everything. littlefoodie loves food...maybe its luck. maybe i change it up so often that he is used to variety and different textures and flavors or perhaps he is just like his mom and dad and will eat just about anything in front of them...really!
so i give you yet another muffin and another recipe that is so interchangable...i think thats why i love to make muffins so much, the possibilities seem endless. i adapted this from a muffin recipe that i had written down a while ago from allrecipes.com.

enjoy!

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbl organic natural brown sugar
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup spectrum brand shortening (no transfats/crappy gross ingredients)
1/3 cup oats
handful of flaxseed meal
1 egg
3/4 cup almond milk (we use unsweetened)
1/2 cup organic grade b maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped dried figs

preheat oven to 400F. grease muffin tin.
sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together.
cut in shortening.
add oats.
combine egg, almond milk and maple syrup. add to dry and stir until just moistened. stir in figs.
pour into muffin tins and bake 18 minutes.

panforte

panforte is an italian dessert. its sort a cross between a confection and a cake...a little fruitcakeiness to it too. its yummy, gooey, dense and good. i haven't made this in years but we are having quite a x-mas and i always make italian for x-mas so hopefully this will be a new one added to my list! i got the recipe off of epicurious. it was printed in gourmet december of 2002. i changed it slightly, adding different fruits and fruits and some orange zest.

enjoy!

PANFORTE
4 teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder plus additional for dusting
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted and loose skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel and chopped
1 cup dried unsulfured apricots, cut into halves
1 cup dried mission figs, each cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
1/2 cup candied citron
zest or 2 oranges
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup honey

Special equipment: a 9-inch springform pan; parchment paper; a candy thermometer
Preheat oven to 300°F.

Line springform pan with parchment, using a round for bottom and a strip for side. Butter paper well and dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour, spices, salt, and 4 teaspoons cocoa in a large bowl, then stir in nuts and fruit.

Bring sugar and honey to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil without stirring until thermometer registers 238 to 240°F, about 2 minutes.

Immediately pour honey over fruit mixture and quickly stir until combined (mixture will be very thick and sticky). Quickly spoon mixture into springform pan, spreading evenly with back of spoon. Dampen your hands and press mixture firmly and evenly into pan to compact as much as possible. Bake in middle of oven until edges start to rise slightly and become matte, 50 to 55 minutes.

Cool panforte completely in pan on a rack, then remove side of pan and invert, peeling off paper. If making ahead, wrap panforte (see cooks' note, below). To serve, cut with a serrated knife into small pieces.

Cooks' note:
• The flavors of panforte deepen over time — it's best made at least 1 week ahead and chilled in a large sealed plastic bag. It can be made 1 month ahead and chilled, wrapped in parchment and then kept in a sealed plastic bag.

sauteed pork with persimmons, figs and sage

i wrote a long post out...blogger is not working and killed it! ughhh. my energy is spent. try this recipe...if you like pork, persimmons, figs and sage this will be a big hit. littlefoodie loved it!!!!

i served it with a wild rice medley with cranberries and tossed with goat cheese and roasted brussel sprouts.
enjoy!


1 pork tenderloin, trimmed and diced into 1 in cubes
unbleached flour
garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 persimmons, peeled and diced
3-4 dried figs, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
juice of 1 orange
2 sage leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup beef broth, (chicken or veg is fine)
2 tbl honey
salt and pepper to taste


in a baggie combine flour, salt and pepper and garlic powder. add pork and toss to coat. saute pork in olive oil until brown on one side. turn over and continue to cook on med low.

in a small saucepan add persimmons, figs, orange juice, broth, sage, garlic, honey and s&p. heat until boiling.

when pork is done turn heat to high and add the persimmon/fig mixture to it. deglaze the pan, scrape up bits and stir until liquid is evaporated.

now eat!!!!

fig and pecan coffee cake

recently i bought a bunch of dried figs. littlefoodie and i are absolutely in love with figs...all kinds, dried or fresh. we like them baked and stuffed with goat cheese, gorgonzola and wrapped in bacon. sweet, tart, savory....you name it we like our figs.
this coffee cake is wonderful. it maintains great moisture even though its packed with whole wheat and flaxseed and has just a moderate amount of sweetness.
next to a steaming dark roast and a little fruit salad we like of frozen wild blueberries and diced watermelon, it is a perfect breakfast.

enjoy!

fig and pecan coffee cake

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached ap flour
1 tsp cinnamon
generous pinch each of nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 cup natural brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup of full fat sour cream or whole milk plain yogurt
1 cup chopped mission figs
1/2 cup chopped pecans

350F. grease and flour a bundt pan. set aside.

mix flours, spices, salt, baking powder and flaxseed meal in bowl. set aside.

beat butter in mixer until creamed. add sugars. add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. add vanilla.

add flour mixture and sour cream/yogurt alternately...beginning and ending with wet ingredient.

stir in figs and pecans. the batter is pretty thick.

spoon batter into pan and bake for an hour.

cool for a couple minutes and invert onto pan. slice and eat all of it!