Figgy Pecan Cake Food

PECAN MACAROON AND FIG TART

Steps:

• For Filling:
• Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until figs are very tender, about 35 minutes. Uncover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and filling is thick, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer filling to processor. Using about 5 on/off turns, process just until mixture holds together. Transfer to small bowl; cool filling. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• For Crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 13 3/4x4-inch rectangular tart pan with removable bottom onto waxed paper. Trace outline of pan bottom on paper; set paper aside. Line pan with heavy-duty foil. Grease foil; dust with matzo cake meal. Combine 2 cups pecans, sugar, ginger and salt in processor; finely grind nuts. Add egg and process until moist clumps form. Using moistened fingertips, press 1 cup dough over bottom and up sides of prepared pan (crust will be thin). Bake crust until puffed and dry looking, about 14 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; press bottom of crust lightly to flatten. Cool crust completely. Maintain over temperature.
• Stir 4 ounces chocolate in top double boiler set over simmering water until melted. Spread over bottom of crust. Spoon 1 3/4 cups filling over chocolate (reserve remaining filling for another use).
• Press remaining dough over traced rectangle on waxed paper, filling outline completely. Using paper as aid, turn dough rectangle over onto tart, aligning carefully; peel off paper. Pinch edge of crust and top dough together to seal.
• Bake tart until top is golden and dry looking, about 28 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack. (Can be prepared ahead. Wrap in foil and store 1 day at room temperature or refrigerate up to 5 days.) Push up pan bottom to release tart. Peel off foil from bottom.
• If desired, dip spoon into melted chocolate and drizzle in zigzag pattern over tart; then dip pecan halves halfway into melted chocolate and arrange decoratively around edge. Chill until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. Serve tart cold or at room temperature.

PECAN FIG BOURBON CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Simmer figs in water in a heavy medium saucepan, covered, until figs are tender and most of liquid is absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes. Purée in a food processor with bourbon and vanilla. Cool to warm.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour bundt pan, knocking out excess flour.
• While oven preheats, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Lightly toast pecans in a shallow baking pan in oven, 8 to 10 minutes, then cool and coarsely chop. Leave oven on.
• Beat together brown sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick and creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in fig mixture. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just incorporated, then fold in pecans.
• Pour batter into bundt pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack, then invert onto a plate.
• Make icing:
• Sift confectioners sugar into a bowl, then whisk in remaining icing ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

THE BEST BUTTER PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Put the 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter in a shallow baking pan with the chopped pecans and put the pan in the oven for 15- 20 minutes, stirring the pecans and melted butter every few minutes, until the fragrance is wonderfully toasty.
• Watch carefully near the end to avoid burning.
• Remove from pan and set aside.
• Grease and flour three 8 or 9-inch round layer cake pans.
• Prepare the cake: In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the 3/4 cup (1 1/2) sticks of butter.
• Beat in the 2 cups of sugar, creaming well.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla to the milk.
• Beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds, alternating with the milk mixture.
• Fold in 1 1/3 cups of the butter-toasted pecans into the cake batter.
• Divide batter equally into the prepared pans.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool and remove from pans.
• Prepare the frosting: Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat and stir in the flour.
• Stir until all of the flour has been moistened or at least colored a little by the butter.
• Stir in the milk just a little at a time, stirring constantly and incorporating all the milk each time before adding more, working to incorporate all the flour and avoid lumps.
• Continue until all the milk is in and the mixture is thickened and smooth.
• Transfer to the small bowl of an electric mixer, and beat to remove any lumps you missed.
• Cool completely.
• When the flour mixture is cool, beat in the teaspoon of vanilla, then the softened butter.
• Add the 1 cup of sugar, and beat 2 minutes at medium speed, until the mixture is fluffy and no graininess from sugar remains.
• Fold in the fat-free Cool Whip and the remaining 2/3 cup of butter-toasted pecans.
• Fill and frost the top of the cake.

FIGGY ORANGE STREUSEL CAKE

Steps:

• PREHEAT oven to 350ºF.
• STREUSEL:
• Grease and flour a 10" (4L) tube pan. Combine all ingredients for streusel in food processor.
• Pulse just until chunky (or chop nuts and mix with other ingredients). Set aside.
• CAKE:
• Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until creamy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Add to butter mixture alternatively with buttermilk, making 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of buttermilk.
• Stir in figs and zest.
• Spread half of batter in prepared pan; sprinkle with half the streusel.
• Spread remaining batter on top; sprinkle with remaining streusel.
• BAKE in centre of 350ºF (180ºC) oven for 50-60 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes, then remove and serve warm or cool.

FIGGY PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• Cream sugar and shortening.
• Add beaten eggs and mix well.
• Add the fig preserves.
• Mix all of the dry ingredients together (except pecans) and whisk to blend them.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture, alternating with the milk.
• Mix thoroughly for about 2 minutes.
• Add the pecans (I lightly flour mine to keep them from sinking).
• Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.
• Cool at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.