Fig Nut And Rum Syrup Food

LEMON AND FIG RUM COCKTAIL

Steps:

• In a cocktail shaker, add the dried figs, lemon juice, and tawny port. Muddle together. Add the simple syrup, spiced rum, and ice and shake well.
• Fill a Collins glass with ice. Strain the cocktail through several layers of cheesecloth into the glass, top off with tonic water and garnish with a slice of lemon and fig.

FIG, NUT AND RUM SYRUP

Steps:

• Place figs and water in 2 batches in a blender and blend till semi smooth but still chunky.
• Place in a heavy bottom pot with sugar and spices.
• Bring to a rolling boil at 225°F using a candy thermometer for 20 minutes. Stirring almost constantly so not to burn or to boil over. Add nuts and continue stirring for 5 more minutes.
• Turn off heat and add carefully dark rum stirring.
• All the stirring over this heavenly scented syrup is so worth it and you get a facial too! ;).
• Pour into sterile jars place clean lids and process for 10 minutes.
• Store out of light. Refrigerate once opened.

SPICED FIG, COFFEE & HAZELNUT CAKE

Steps:

• First, make the sponge. Put the dried figs in a bowl and pour over the coffee. Leave to soak for 30 mins. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the hazelnuts onto a baking tray and toast in the oven for 5-8 mins until golden brown and aromatic. Tip 75g of the nuts into a food processor (set aside the rest for later) and leave to cool for 10 mins. Meanwhile grease the base and sides of a 20 x 30cm rectangular cake tin with butter and line with baking parchment.
• Whizz the cooled nuts until finely chopped. Add the soaked figs and any remaining coffee, and whizz again to a paste. Add the remaining sponge ingredients to the processor with a good pinch of salt. Blend until well combined, scraping down the sides once or twice and blending again. Scrape into your cake tin, level the surface and bake for 25 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then flip onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment and leave to cool.
• While the cake cools, make the icing. Put the butter, vanilla and half the sugar in a large bowl. Roughly mash together with a spatula, then blend with an electric hand whisk until smooth. Add the cream cheese and the remaining icing sugar, mash, then blend again until smooth. Split the icing into 2 batches, one for layering and a crumb coat, and one for a final coat. You can chill the icing while the cake cools, but remove it from the fridge 15 mins before using to bring back to room temperature.
• Now assemble the cake. Transfer the cooled cake to a chopping board. Score the sponge at 10cm intervals along the length of the cake, marking out 3 sections, 20 x 10cm each. Cut through, then stack the cakes on top of each other to check they are the same size. Trim any uneven edges, then unstack.
• Put 1 sponge on a cake board or plate. Spread with a little icing and 3 tbsp fig jam, keeping the jam about 1cm from the edges. Top with another sponge, more icing and jam, then sandwich with the final sponge. Use a palette knife to cover the entire cake with the remaining first batch of icing (the crumb coat) - don't worry if it's a little messy. Make sure you fill any gaps between the layers with icing. Once covered, chill for at least 30 mins to firm up the icing. Chill the remaining icing too, but bring it out of the fridge 10-15 mins before the cake so it is ready for spreading.
• Decorate the cake. Remove it from the fridge and cover with the remaining icing. Use a palette knife to create smooth edges, or leave it fairly rough, if you like. Top the cake with the figs, pointy ends up. Put the caramel in a small piping bag, snip off the corner and drizzle over the top of the cake, encouraging it down the sides (or just drizzle it over with a spoon). Roughly chop the remaining toasted nuts and scatter over the top. Serve in slices with extra figs on the side, if you like. Keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 days, but bring to room temperature before eating.

CINNAMON RUM SYRUP

Steps:

• Combine sugar, water and cinnamon in a small saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over high heat and boil until sugar is dissolved.
• Remove from heat; stir in rum and lemon.
• Pour syrup into a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator.

MAPLE RUM SYRUP

Steps:

• Add all ingredients to pan.
• bring to a boil while stirring.
• Reduce to simmer for 2 minutes.
• Serve over favorite pancakes or waffles.

RUM SIMPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and the water over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture reaches a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes more.
• Remove pan from heat, and stir in rum. Let cool to room temperature.