Hardy varieties of figs are still available this time of year, but they may not be as sweet or full-bodied as the ones available in early autumn. We found a basket of organic figs from California last week and, craving their sweetness, brought them home to pair with cheese for a favorite appetizer.
Their flavor was pale and insipid, however, and so we turned to this simple recipe, which brings richer flavor to fresh figs. With the sweetness of caramelized honey and the piney tang of rosemary, plus a little cracked pepper, these winter figs still made a delicious appetizer.
Roasted Figs with Honey and Rosemary
Serves 4 as an appetizer
1 pint fresh figs
1/3 cup honey
4 large sprigs fresh rosemary
Fresh cracked black pepper
Heat the oven to 375ºF. Wash and stem the figs. Slice in half and arrange cut side up in a baking dish. Drizzle the honey over top and cut the sprigs in half and tuck between the figs. Grind fresh pepper over everything.
Roast for about 15 minutes, or until the honey is just being to get dark and caramelized. The figs should not be too soft - you need to be able to pick them up with your fingers.
Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Arrange on a plate with soft cheese (mild chévre and St. Andre both work well) and crackers. Drizzle the juices and honey left in the baking dish over the figs and cheese. Make open-faced sandwiches on the crackers with cheese, then a fig.
Related Links
• Prosciutto Roasted Figs
• Seasonal Recipe Spotlight: Figs
• Plum and Fig Flognarde
• All Cheesemonger posts
• Good Product: Cracked Black Pepper Crackerthins
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Yum! I'm a big fan of figs with soft cheese ;)
Great way to make lemonade out of lemons, so to speak with roasting the less than stellar figs with honey. I'm sure it was delicious.
view FigswithBri's profile
Figs are also VERY good with triple-cream cheeses - although of course anything would be good with a triple-cream cheese.
view faith's profile
For meat eaters, figs are also excellent stuffed with goat or gorgonzola and wrapped in brown-sugar cumin rubbed bacon, then grilled. Wow!
view honeyhaze's profile
I adore figs! I remember when we lived in SoCal, there was a woman who lived in the town who had fig trees and grew vegetables in her back yard. She had a stand in the front of her house where she had sacks of vegetables or figs for ONE DOLLAR a sack (paper lunch bags) and a coffee can for you to put the money in. It was an honor system. I've been gone for 6 years now and I still miss those figs.
Martha Stewart had an awesome recipe for a fig tart in one of her cookbooks. It had a nut crust, a sweet glaze over the figs that included a touch of white pepper. It was to die for.
view rose's profile