Figgy Pudding Cocktail

Figgy Pudding Cocktail

Figs and sage are a flavour match made in heaven! Any type of fig jam or spread works here, including those flavored with citrus or other fruits. Serve leftover fig jam with a cheese board, or spread it on raisin bagels or toast.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (15 mL) fig jam
1 dried fig, halved
3 fresh sage leaves
1 1/2 oz aged or spiced rum
3 to 4 oz chilled ginger beer, such as Fever-Tree
Dried ginger slices and figs (or fig cookies) to garnish

Directions: 
In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle jam, fig and sage until
sage is fragrant and mixture is combined. Fill cocktail shaker with
ice and add rum. Shake until thoroughly chilled, at least 15 seconds.

Strain mixture through a cone-shaped fine cocktail strainer into a
cocktail coupe. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with dried elements or
slices or cubes of fig cookie threaded onto a cocktail pick.                                                          Makes 1 Drink

Easy Figgy Baked Brie

Easy Figgy Baked Brie

This is a must-know appetizer, so impressive and easy to pull together. Make baked brie for an  elegant cocktail party or a  quiet party of a family few. Always festive, fun, delectable. And easy! Other favorite jams for this are apricot or sweet pepper jalapeño.

Ingredients:

1 sleeve puff pastry, thawed 30 minutes in the box, at room temperature (the frozen Pepperidge Farms box contains two sleeves, refreeze the extra)
1/2 cup fig jam
1 8 oz. wheel of brie, double or triple cream
1 egg well-beaten with a teaspoon of water
Directions:
Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Unwrap and unfold the thawed puff pastry. If using all-butter puff pastry, roll the pastry to 1/4-inch thickness. Carefully lay the pastry on the parchment lined pan. Cut away a strip of pastry to fit the size of your cookie cutter for decoration, if using.

Dollop half of the jam in the center of the pastry and spread to a circle about the size of the brie wheel. Lay the brie over top, and spread the rest of the jam on top of the brie.

Take one corner of the dough and pull it up and over the brie. Repeat with the remaining three corners, pressing the dough down to seal it on top. 

Flip the pastry-brie package over.

Use a cookie cutter to cut a shape out of the spare piece of pastry. Lay the shape on top of the package.

Brush the pastry top and sides with egg wash.

Bake at 375 F for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Celebration Punch

Celebration Punch

It’s time to celebrate! To commemorate a special occasion, I raise a glass to you, dear readers. Ten ingredients combine to make one truly delectable beverage.  Flavors warm and spicy, crisp and cool, all at once. In keeping with our ongoing kitchen pantry preserve/ cocktail experiments, we use fig jam here to special effect, a subtle note that captures the essence of the season, and lingers on the tongue with a silky mouthfeel.
Ingredients:
½ gallon unfiltered apple juice
6 cardamom pods, crushed
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise pods
2 tablespoons fig jam
2 cups bourbon
2 12-ounce bottles ginger beer
5 oranges (use 4 to make 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice and slice 1 into wheels for garnish)
½ cup crystalized ginger, sliced
10 dashes Angostura bitters
Directions:
Pour the apple juice into a large pot. Add the cinnamon sticks, cardamom and star anise and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the fig jam and stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for several hours or overnight.

Pour the spiced apple juice into a large punch bowl or pitcher, using a strainer to remove the whole spices. Add the bourbon, ginger beer and orange juice and mix well. Top with the crystalized ginger, orange slices and bitters. Add ice to serving glasses if desired. Serves 8.

Fig and Blue Cheese Savouries

Fig And Blue Cheese Savouries

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
4 ounces blue cheese
Ground black pepper
Fig Jam, about 3 tablespoons

*

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the flour, butter, blue cheese and a few grinds of black pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dough just comes together and starts to form a ball.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to pull the dough together. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick with a floured rolling pin. Cut rounds out of the dough with a floured 1-inch cutter and transfer the rounds to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Using the back or a round half-teaspoon measure or your knuckle, make an indentation in the top of each dough round. Spoon about ¼ teaspoon of fig preserves into each indentation, using your finger to push the preserves as best as possible into the indentations.

Bake the savories for 10 – 14 minutes, until the preserves are bubbling and the pastry is light golden on the bottom.

Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, the remove to a wire rack to cool.  Makes 3 doz. 

You’ll find fig preserves at the grocery – it may be shelved with the “fancy” jams and jellies. You can make these a day ahead and keep them in two layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container.