ABOUT DRIED FIGS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 529, 12 August 1949, Page 22

ABOUT DRIED FIGS

HERE is a wealth of Dried . Fruits in the grocers now, and the housewife is thankfully employing them in her perennial problem of supplying the family with puddings. There are figs, dates, prunes, apricots, peaches, pears, besides raisins, currants and sultanas. If you have any new ideas for using these fruits, please do pass them on for us all to try. We will begin with figs. Figs for Breakfast Figs are excellent if done in a covered casserole in the oven, and served cold, or hot, with or without a little cream. Just cover with luke-warm water, and put in some strips of fresh lemon peel for flavouring. Cook slowly, so that they plump up nicely. Some people like to thicken the juice slightly with atrowroot. Figs done this way make a good. pudding, accompanied by a rich bread custard, or a blancmange. Luxury Fig Pudding : Cook 34lb. chopped dried figs in 1% cups milk in a double boiler for 20 minutes. In°a big mixing bow! combine 1 1-3rd cups shredded suet, 142 cups soft breadcrumbs, and 3 well beaten eggs. Into this mixture sift 142 cups flour, 21% teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, %4 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup sugar. Add figs and milk, and 3 tablespoons grated orange-rind. Mix very thoroughly. Steam in greased basin at least 2 hours-longer if possible. Serve with orange sauce or sterling sauce. Orange Sauce Three tablespoons cornflour, 4% cup sugar, 14 teaspoon salt, 112 cups boiling water, % cup butter, 1 tablespoon grated orange rind, a-dash of nutmeg or cloves, Y% cup orange juice and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Combine sugar, cornflour, grated rind and salt in saucepan, and | slowly add boiling water, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Simmer, while stirring about 5 minutes or until clear and thickened. Remove: stir in rest of ingredients. Serve hot with fig pudding. Sterling Sauce Half cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed, Work butter with spoon or beater till light and creamy, then add sugar gradually, continuing to work until light and fluffy. Add next % cup top milk, very slowly, blending carefully. A little rum may also be added. Family Fig Pudding This is one for everyday use. Four ounces each of flour, shredded suet, breadcrumbs and sugar, %lb. figs, 1 large apple, 1 teaspoon baking powder and milk to mix. Chop figs and apple small. Mix as usual, and moisten with milk. Steam 2%4 hours. Fig Tart Sie Stew gently enough coarsely chopped figs to make 24% cupfuls. Do not use much water, just enough to plump them up nicely. Line a deep plate with rich pie-crust. Fry lightly 4 tablespoons soft breadcrumbs in a tablespoon of butter and sprinkle these over the pastry-lined

plate, to absorb excess juice. Spread in the figs mixed with juice of 42 lemon, 1-3 cup sugar and pinch of salt, Moisten edges~ of crust and fit on criss-cross strips of pastry about 12 inch wide, lattice fashion. Bake about % hour or until pastry well cooked. Fig and Raisin. Pasties One pound each figs and raisins, %lb. brown suger, 1 lemon (juice and pulp only), 1 tablespoon cornflour and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, Soak figs until plump. Cut them in small pieces and put into saucepan with raisins, sugar-and lemon. Cover with water and stew till tender. Mix cornflour and cinnamon with a little water, add to mixture and cook another 10 minutés. The result should be of jam ¢onsistency and may be potted. To use, roll out short pastry the size of a dinner plate, spread "half with fig and raisin mixture, moisten edges and turn plain half over, Pinch edges together and prick holes down centre. Bake in a steady oven till pastry is cooked. Fig Pickle Leave llb. dried figs to soak overnight, just barely covered with cold water. Next day, drain them. For the pickling mixture, boil 1lb. brown sugar with % pint best vinegar till thick. Then add 1 dessertspoon each of ground cloves and cinnamon, and a teaspoon each of ground mace and allspice. Simmer for a minute or two, then add figs, and cook all together very gently for an hour. Put into jars and cover, It is delicious with pork, cold meat, or cold boiled bacon. : Fig and Orange Jam Put 6 oranges into pan with quart of water and boil till, tender. Remove oranges, saving the water. Cut them into halves and scoop out the pulp, slice peel very thinly and remove pith and pips. Cut up and wash llb. figs and put all into pan-figs, orange pulp, sliced peel and water, with 2%2lb. sugar. Heat gently and gradually, stirring constantly till sugar dissolved. Then boil fast till jam will set when tested. . Fig Filling This a delicious and unusual filling. Spread it between the layers of sponge cake while hot, but the cake must be cool. Take % cup chopped figs, 2 cup _ chopped dates, % cup chopped raisins, 14"cup sugar, 4% cup boiling water and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Mix all and cook in double saucepan until thick.