Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club- Fig Swirl Coffee Cake

I'm late! I'm late! Better late than never though, so I present to you the Fig Swirl Coffee Cake that I made for this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club.
Jamie was our host this month and she chose the theme Breakfast for Dinner. We were able to choose any breakfast food from Cooking Light and here is what everyone came up with.

Jerry started us off with Fig and Nut Breakfast Cookies,
Roz added a wonderful Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon, Onions, and Cheese,
Sandi brought Grits Souffle,

Jamie made Ham and Swiss Egg Sandwiches, and

Val decided on Blueberry and Maple-Pecan Granola Parfaits.

I have had my eye on this Fig-Swirl Coffeecake for quite some time and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to make this beautiful creation. A yeast dough is filled with a fig/orange juice combination and then it is rolled up and cut and carefully placed in a beautiful shape. It is a delightful combination. Because it is a yeast dough, it does have to rest and rise a couple of times, so be sure to plan that time in if you want to serve this for breakfast.

Make sure you check out all the delicious recipes that were made for this Breakfast for Dinner!

Here is the recipe for Fig Swirl Coffee Cake

Fig and Ginger Truffles

Last summer I received a shipment of fresh figs and dried figs too. Pounds and pounds of figs.
Since then, I have been looking for interesting ways to use dried figs. I don't remember how I found this recipe, but it stuck out to me because it is a healthier way to have a truffle, or an excuse to have a little chocolate.

Now, you will not like this recipe if you do not like dried figs. The filling for these truffles is mostly dried figs, that are ground up in the food processor and combined with a few other things, like crystallized ginger and a little bit of honey.

The fig mixture is rolled into little balls-I made mine smaller than the recipe called for, since the recipe is only supposed to yield 16 truffles and I ended up with 26. Then the little balls of fig goodness are rolled in dark chocolate. I used Scharffen Berger, 70% cacao.

These truffles need a little time to set up in the fridge and then they are ready for eating or sharing. I actually shared some with a friend who doesn't eat gluten or dairy and happens to love figs. She said she really enjoyed them.
I put the rest in the freezer and have been enjoying them as a little treat. The ginger gives a little bit of spicy heat that really plays well with the flavors of the figs and the dark chocolate offsets the sweetness of the fig filling.


Recipe for Fig and Ginger Truffles
* I made 26 truffles

Fig, Ginger, and Pear Quick Bread

Let the festive baking and giving of baked goods begin- or continue, if you have already begun doing so.
I made a bunch of cookies and this quick bread and sent it off in the mail to some family and friends. I chose this bread because it specifically stated that it should be baked, wrapped in plastic and saved for the next day. So, I figured that if I shipped it quickly to someone in another state, an extra day would make it that much better.

This bread contains shredded fresh pears, which I have never used in a baked good before. The keeps the batter nice and moist and I'm sure adds great flavor.

This bread is topped with dried figs and crystallized ginger. It smelled so good. I really wanted to cut a slice and give it a taste, but who wants to receive a half-eaten goodie in the mail?

I will just have to make another batch into mini-loaves, so I can try it for myself.
Happy Baking!


Recipe for Fig, Ginger, and Pear Quick Bread
* these particular version of the quick bread is one of the options below the original recipe

Fig Giveaway! and Fresh Fig Ice Cream

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Cristina, who asked me if I was interested in receiving a shipment of figs from the California Fig Advisory Board.
I thought it was very interesting that she contacted me just 1 day after my father-in-law left some fresh figs from his backyard at my house and the same day that I had used some of them in this delicious Oatmeal Breakfast Bread. That was my first experience baking with fresh figs.

I jumped at the chance to receive more figs and was excited when they arrived in the mail last week.
I had spotted a recipe for Fresh Fig Ice Cream in David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop and that was the first thing on my list to make with my figs.
It couldn't have been easier to make either. I just cut up some figs, put them in a saucepan with a little water, let them get tender, added a little sugar, then let the mixture become soft and jam-like. Then you let the fig mixture cool a little bit, put it in the food processor with a little cream and lemon juice, puree and the only thing left to do is let it cool and churn it in your ice cream maker.
Because figs have such a beautiful color and flavor, this ice cream is unbelievably delicious. I think it is my new favorite.

We have been eating them fresh, adding them to salads, pairing them with a little cheese and enjoying them quite a bit. I even received some dried figs, which I can't wait to use.
I have been given the chance to giveaway a case of fresh figs!
If you are interested just leave a comment on this post, making sure to leave a way for me to contact you. This giveaway will close on Saturday, August 28th at 12 am, midnight.

Here are some interesting "Fig Facts".

Did you know?

· There are five varieties of California figs; each with distinct flavor profiles.

· The fig tree is the symbol of abundance, fertility, and sweetness.

· Figs provide more fiber than any other common fruit or vegetable.

· Although considered a fruit, the fig is actually a flower that is inverted into itself.

· Figs contain natural humectants – properties that extend freshness and moistness in baked products.

· Figs are fat-, sodium- and cholesterol-free.

· California fig growers produce 100 percent of the nation’s dried figs and 98 percent of the country’s fresh figs.

To learn more about California fresh and dried figs, visit www.calfreshfigs.com or www.californiafigs.com.

Fresh Fig Ice Cream
From David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop

2 lbs fresh figs (about 20)
1/2 cup of water
1 lemon, preferably unsprayed
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon of freshly squeezed, lemon juice, or more to taste (I added the juice of 1/2 lemon)

Remove the hard stem ends from the figs, then cut each fig into 8 pieces. Put the figs in a medium, nonreactive suacepan with the water, and zest the lemon directly into the saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8-1o minutes until the figs are tender.

Remove the lid, add the sugar and continue to cook until it reaches a jam-like consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Blend together with cream and lemon juice, chill in the fridge and then put in your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's instructions.

TWD-Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

Natalie of Oven Love chose today's TWD recipe, Oatmeal Breakfast Bread. You can find the recipe on her blog HERE.
My father-in-law left a large bag of fresh figs on my doorstep one day, that he had picked from the fig tree in his backyard. I have never had fresh figs (they are so delicious), so I decided to let them play a part in this breakfast bread.

I like muffins better than loaves, so I halved the recipe and made jumbo muffins. I got 6 muffins out of a half recipe.
I sliced some fresh figs, quartered some, and halved others- out of curiosity, to see which method would work better with the brown sugar-nut topping.
The halved figs sunk into the muffins, while the slices and quarters stayed on top, getting sticky and soft.
I left out the chopped, dried fruit that was supposed to be mixed into the batter because I used the figs.

These oatmeal muffins were really delicious. Especially with the figs on top.
This is definitely a recipe I will make again.
See what all the other TWD-er's thought about this breakfast bread by checking out their links HERE!

And don't forget to enter my giveaway, which is open until Thursday at midnight!