Fig & Walnut Quick Bread



The figs are almost done for the season because of the rain. Ruined. Rotten and soggy.

I am hoping some sunshine will bring a new harvest in September, because they are a late summer crop anyway (maybe my trees will produce more than 3 figs this year!).



I had a few pathetic fresh figs dying on the counter, they were too mushy for a salad, so I made this nice quick bread (really a cake), and what a cake it was!

Delicious for breakfast and after school snack.

If you don't have fresh figs, dried ones would work just as well.

I thought it might be strange to macerate the figs in dry sherry, but the results were delicious and unusual.



Fig & Walnut Quick Bread (adapted from this site):

Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf

1 1/2 cups stemmed and coarsely chopped ripe dark or light figs
1/4 cup dry sherry (use the good stuff or use Marsala wine)
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon sugar for the top (optional)

In a medium sized bowl add the figs and macerate for 15 minutes in the 1/4 cup of sherry.



Toast the nuts and chop them. Set them aside and cool.

In a large bowl, add the sugar and olive oil and beat until light in color. Add the 2 eggs and beat for 2 minutes.

Add the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix together. Add in the nuts last.

With a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the figs and sherry so the figs don't mash up too much in the batter.

Pour into a parchment lined or greased 9" loaf pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 1 hour.

Let cool in the pan before removing.



Best eaten the next day for breakfast! Yum!

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Comments

Ciao Chow Linda said…
I knew you couldn't go too long without a fig recipe. I have only six or seven on my tree and they never seem to ripen! I'd love to try this cake though.
Bonnie's Kitchen said…
I have tried a similar recipe using dried figs and it came out great. So moist with the olive oil and healthy too!
Karen K. said…
We've had so much rain this summer, my tomatoes are totally ruined.
Linda In Switzerland said…
Is that really your garden?! Amazing!!!
Joanne said…
Ugh! I'm going to cry because I haven't made a single fig recipe this season! I need to get on that.
Stacey Snacks said…
Linda,
That is our community garden....I only grow tomatoes at home, we don't have the room, so we rent a plot and grow the "stuff" there!
tasteofbeirut said…
Love this bread! Will keep the recipe for our figs; mixing figs and walnuts is traditional in Lebanese cuisine as well (there is a fig jam with walnuts, anise and sesame seeds to die for). Cute garden!
I love your community garden Stace! I don't have a fig tree but I just bought some figs which I've been wondering what to do with them.
Ginny Lee said…
that is an awesome garden! I have some fresh figs from Costco--too little rain for figs here now...will make some bread!
you know i've never used sherry in a bread (well crepes). that's a good idea. i bet it smells good too. and figs do pair nicely with sherry.
Anonymous said…
loved the fig bread. i made two the first one sank and seemed a little undercooked so i cooked the second one a little longer. i will make another one now-- i will follow your baking instuctioins and not over bake this one even tho it links i like it very moist in the middle.
Stacey Snacks said…
Baking temp should be 350F.
Sorry about that!