Steaming Fig Pudding Recipes

Steps:

• Gently heat buttermilk and figs in a saucepan over medium-low heat until softened, 10 to 15 minutes; set aside until cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a tube pan.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on high for 1 minute. Add fig-and-buttermilk mixture, bread crumbs, butter, almonds, orange marmalade, orange zest, and orange-vanilla flavoring to the beaten eggs; beat on low speed until blended. Gradually add flour mixture while beating until just incorporated into a batter. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Grease a sheet of aluminum foil; use to cover pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until firm and pulling away from sides of the pan, about 2 hours. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the dates, dried figs and water to a medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then add to a blender and puree.
• Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat well. Fold in the flour, the pureed date mixture and the chocolate.
• Put the mixture into 4 buttered, 1-cup individual ramekins, filling halfway or slightly under. Put in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Prepare the sauce by stirring the sugar and cream in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until incorporated.
• Remove the ramekins from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. May be served in the ramekin or unmolded onto a small serving plate. With paring knife cut a cross in the top of the puddings for the sauce.
• Pour the sauce into the cross in the center of each pudding, then pour more sauce over the puddings and it allow to soak in slightly. Top with fresh figs and vanilla ice cream or heavily whipped cream. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 20 x 22cm ovenproof dish, then pour in the golden syrup and honey. Trim the stalks from the figs, then cut a deep cross in the top, just so they open out a bit, but be careful not to cut all the way through. Sit the figs upright on top of the syrup and put them in the oven to bake for 15-20 mins until softened and starting to caramelise a little at the edges.
• While the figs are cooking, make the sponge mixture. Put the eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla and butter in a bowl and use an electric whisk to beat until smooth.
• Remove the dish from the oven, scoop the figs out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Once the syrup mixture has cooled in the dish, take spoonfuls of the sponge batter and gently place them on top of the syrup. It's best to do this all the way around the edge first, then end in the middle - this helps keep the syrup mixture separate. Smooth the batter out very gently to cover any gaps and seal the syrup mixture in.
• Bake for 35-40 mins or until the sponge springs back when pressed. Allow to cool for around 5 mins or until just warm, then seconds before serving, dot the surface with eight small dollops of the yogurt. Top each mound with a baked fig, then scatter over some thyme leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, if you like.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine 1 cup figs, 1/2 cup water, and the brandy; cook 15 minutes. Puree in the bowl of a food processor; set aside.
• Place remaining 1/2 cup figs and the apricots in a small bowl. Cover with hot water, and let soak until fruit is plump. Drain thoroughly, and set aside.
• Butter a 5-cup pudding bowl and a circle of parchment paper several inches larger than bowl, and set both aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in fig puree. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to butter-fig mixture alternately with milk.
• Spoon jam into bottom of pudding bowl. Arrange fruit on bottom and sides of bowl. Pour in batter. Cover bowl with parchment, and secure with a rubber band; cover with aluminum foil. Place a rack in a 10-quart stockpot; put bowl on rack. Pour boiling water into pot to reach halfway up sides of bowl. Cover pot; steam pudding for 2 hours and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove bowl from pot, and let sit, uncovered, for 15 minutes before turning out the pudding onto a serving plate.

Steps:

• Firstly you need dried figs that have been soaked (mine were in brandy because I had made fig brandy - http://www.food.com/recipe/fig-brandy-493487 ) you might want to leave yours for a few days in just orange juice or a drink of your choice.
• Use the mixer to stir the flour, suet and sugar together.
• Use the blender to make a purée from the figs.
• Mix the flour and fig purée together.
• Then add the water a little at a time until you get a soft "dough" (you might need a little more or a little less water depending on how wet other ingredients are).
• Butter 8 ramekins/tins/tubs that will hold about a tennis ball size of the mix.
• Fill each ramekin but leave a little space at the top as they will rise up.
• cover with foil and steam for 45 minutes in a double boiler type pan.
• Serve with custard, cream or icecream.
• (note - if you have used brandy soaked ones, don't give them to the children and don't drive !).

Steps:

• Butter a 500ml, a 1-litre and a 2-litre pudding bowl, then line the base of each with a circle of baking parchment. Butter 3 large sheets of greaseproof paper, lay each on a large sheet of foil butter side up, and fold a pleat in the middle of each.
• Roughly chop 250g of the figs and set aside. Put the remaining figs, butter and brandy into a food processor and whizz until smooth-ish, then scrape into your largest mixing bowl. Tip in the chopped figs, mixed vine fruits, grated apple, sugars, breadcrumbs, flour and allspice. Stir everything together, allowing as many helpers to give a stir and adding as many wishes as you like. Divide between the pudding bowls and smooth the surfaces.
• Cover the puds with the buttered paper-foil sheets, tie with string and trim. Lower the puds into separate saucepans with upturned saucers or scrunched up bits of foil in the bottom (so the puds don't touch the bottom), then fill each pan with enough boiling water from the kettle to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Cover with a lid and simmer the small pud for 1-1½ hrs, medium for 2-2½ hrs and large for 3 hrs, topping up the water as needed. Remove and leave to cool. If giving as a gift, put a new piece of parchment on top. Will keep in a cool, dry cupboard for up to a year.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 2 cups figs (or apricots), 1 cup water, and the brandy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes, just until figs are plumped (there should still be 1 cup liquid in the pan). Transfer the mixture, with all the liquid, to a food processor, and process until pureed. Set aside.
• Place remaining figs in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water, and let soak until fruit is plump, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly, and set aside.
• Using a pastry brush, butter eight 2- or 3-cup pudding molds and their lids (or use eight circles of parchment paper cut several inches larger than mold for lids). Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until softened and well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until each is incorporated. Add vanilla and reserved fig purée, and beat until combined, about 1 minute.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set the mixer on low speed, and gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with milk, to the fig mixture, in two additions each. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Place jam in a small saucepan, and heat, stirring, over medium heat just until warm. Spoon about 1 tablespoon warm jam into bottom of each pudding mold. Cut the reserved figs in half lengthwise, and arrange 8 to 10 halves cut sides up, on the bottoms of each of the molds, overlapping slightly. (Dried apricots do not need to be cut. Arrange 8 to 10 as above in the bottom of each mold.) Pour 1 cup batter into each mold. Tap molds sharply on counter several times to distribute batter evenly and to eliminate air bubbles. Cover each mold with its lids or parchment paper secured with a rubber band. (If using parchment, place a layer of aluminum foil on top of the paper to prevent water from coming in contact with the puddings.) Puddings may be made up to this point and refrigerated for 1 day. (If refrigerated, leave puddings at room temperature for 1 hour before steaming).
• To steam the puddings, place a 10-inch round rack in the bottom of an 8- to 10-quart stockpot; place three or four molds (depending on the size of the molds, either three or four will fit at one time) on the rack. Remaining puddings may sit at room temperature or be refrigerated for about 45 minutes while others are steaming. (Do not refrigerate puddings the entire steaming time, or they will be too cold to cook properly.) Pour enough boiling water into the pot to reach halfway up the sides of molds. Cover, and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, and gently steam puddings until a toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean, 2 hours to 2 hours 20 minutes. Transfer molds to a cooling rack; when cool enough to handle, remove lids. Let sit, uncovered, for about 5 minutes for puddings; turn out onto serving plates. Serve warm with chilled brandy sauce.
• To rewarm fig or apricot puddings: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer puddings from refrigerator to a rimmed baking sheet. Keep puddings in molds with their lids. Place in oven. Heat for 40 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted into pudding comes out very hot to the touch. Using a pot holder or kitchen towel, carefully unmold puddings onto serving plates. Serve warm with brandy sauce.