Honeyed Fig Topping Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch cake pan (or two 9-inch pans), and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, baking soda and salt.
• Using an electric mixer, whisk to combine sugar and eggs until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Whisk in oil and buttermilk or yogurt to combine.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold dry ingredients into egg mixture just until combined. Fold in figs, jam and pecans.
• Scrape into prepared cake pan and bake until browned and springy to the touch, about 65 to 75 minutes (or 35 to 45 minutes for the 9-inch pans). If the top gets too dark before the cake is finished baking, cover it with foil. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• While cake is cooling, make the frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and salt on low speed until smooth. Beat in honey and vanilla, then beat in confectioners' sugar.
• To assemble the cake, remove cooled cake from pan and peel off parchment paper. Slice cake in half horizontally, so you end up with 2 layers. (You don't need to do this for the 9-inch cakes.) Spread half the frosting between the layers, sandwiching it. Dollop remaining frosting in a thick layer on top of the cake, leaving a 1-inch border on the top of the cake, the sides, bare. Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, top with sliced figs.

Steps:

• Trim the stems off the figs and make a small hole in the top.
• Combine water, honey, cloves and allspice in a pot and bring to a boil.
• Put figs in the pot and simmer, covered for 15 minutes, until almost done.
• Remove figs and reduce sauce for 10 minutes.
• Put the figs back in the sauce and reduce until desired consistency, around 5 more minutes.
• Stir in balsamic vinegar (if using).

Steps:

• Bring figs, honey, 1 ½ tablespoons water, vanilla, and cinnamon to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until liquid reduces to glaze, about 4 minutes.
• Spoon a portion over individual bowls of hot oatmeal (or yogurt or farina or whatever you might choose); serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat the grill to its highest setting. Put the fig halves on one half of a baking sheet and drizzle with half the honey. Dry-fry the ras el hanout in a hot pan for 1 min. Mix the remaining honey with the toasted ras el hanout and 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Toss the slices of halloumi in the mixture and spread out on the other half of the baking sheet. Grill everything for 3 mins, flip the halloumi over and put back under the grill for a further 3 mins or until the halloumi is golden and the figs are softened.
• Whisk the remaining oil with the sherry vinegar and season to taste. Arrange handfuls of the rocket on six plates and drizzle with the dressing. Top with the figs, halloumi and prosciutto, then finish with the toasted almonds.