I recently went to a cocktail party where the hostess had served roasted figs in balsamic vinegar and honey. They were delicious. The presentation looked so warm and welcoming. She paired it with roasted almonds and blue cheese with slices of bread. The flavors were amazing. This was something that was a simple to prepare and wonderful to serve to a large or small group as the weather is starting to turn colder.
1o Figs – cut in half and take the stems off
6 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of Honey
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
Pre Heat Oven at 350
On a jelly role sheet (a cookie sheet with sides) or baking dish place cut figs. In a saucepan heat 3 tablespoons of Vinegar, Honey, Sugar Cinnamon, and Olive Oil and cook until simmering. Evenly cover the figs with the sauce and place in oven for 30 minutes then take out every 10 minutes and brush with vinegar. Take out when figs are nice and tender! Ready to serve.
Things that are paired well with Figs: Almonds, Anise, Blue Cheese, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Goat’s Cheese, Hard Cheese, Hazelnut, Mint, Orange, Prosciutto, Raspberry, Soft Cheese, Vanilla, and Walnut.
This past holiday weekend I went home with some friends. Since having people over to my tiny apartment is really not an option, I thought I would take advantage of space at home and I do enjoy cooking with my mom. One of my friends who came had just finished business school, now I know she worked very hard but I also know she become enriched from her travels. Her suggestion was that we grill some rum soaked Pineapple for the BBQ. That this is what she had done every/one night on one of her vacations in school. While it was served as a snack at this bbq – it also serves as a great topping for burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches. What we also found out that some people liked the burned wedges since some of our slices were not perfectly cut. This was a brilliant idea and a huge success they were loved by all!
1 Whole Pineapple (with skin removed and sliced ½ inch thick)
1 Cup of Dark Rum
¾ Cup of Brown Sugar
Fresh Ginger Zest about 3 Teaspoons
½ Cup of Water to dissolve the sugar in
Combine all ingredients into Pyrex dish and let pineapple marinate for at least 1 hour. Grill pineapple on each side for 1 minute.
Other ideas for flavoring: Honey, Lemon, Lime, Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, and Vanilla.
This is a different take on Pound Cake with Whipped Cream and Strawberries. This was a perfectly portable dessert that I made to bring to a picnic.
1 Stick of Butter
½ Cup of Vegetable Shortening
1 ½ Cup of Sugar
3 Eggs
1 ½ Cup of Flour
½ Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 Cup of Milk
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
Preheat Oven 350
In a mixing bowl mix together Butter, Vegetable Shortening, and Sugar for about 2 minutes. Mix one egg in at a time and vanilla. Add the Flour, Baking Soda, and Milk alternating between the dry and wet ingredients. Fill cupcake cups about ¾ of the way to the top and bake for 18-22 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Let cool completely before topping them with whipped cream. Makes about 15 Cupcakes.
Strawberry Whipped Cream
1 Pint of Heavy Cream
1 Cup of Marshmallow Fluff
7 Medium Sized Strawberries
2 Teaspoons of Sugar
Dice up the strawberries and in a bowl toss them with the sugar- let stand for just a minute or so. In a separate bowl add the Heavy Cream, Fluff and Strawberry Mixture and beat until light and fluffy. Note: the cream did splatter a lot with the Fluff. Top each cupcake with whipped cream; I finished them off by topping them with a chocolate cover strawberry.
Roasted Figs in Balsamic Vinegar
