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1 & 1/4 cups butter
1 pound dried figs, stemmed in a little water to make soft
3 tablespoons brandy or 2 tablespoons brandy extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar
Brown ~ butter hard sauce { recipe follows }
 In a 2 to 3 quart pan over medium high heat, melt butter. Stir often
until butter is deep golden brown with darker brown flecks, 5 to 8
minutes { if butter foams up in pan, remove from heat briefly until
foaming subsides }. Pour butter into a glass, 1 cup measuring cup; chill until
solid, about 1 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine
the figs, brandy, and 1 cup of boiling water.
Soak until figs have softened, about 30 minutes. Lift 1/2 cup figs from
the bowl and coarsely chop. Pour remaining figs, with soaking liquid, into a
blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Scoop 1/2 cup solidified brown butter into a large bowl
{ bring to
room temperature if necessary before using; reserve remainder for
brown butter hard sauce }. With a mixer at medium speed, beat butter with
granulated sugar until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating
well after each addition. Add puréed figs and beat until smooth.
Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and beat at low speed
until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir in chopped
figs.
Spoon batter into a
well buttered
11 cup bundt pan
; cover tightly with
foil and secure with a rubber band. Place the bundt pan in a 12 x 17 inch
baking pan and set on bottom rack of a 350° oven. Carefully pour 2
inches of boiling water around bundt pan, then cover entire baking pan with
foil.
Bake about
1 hour and 15 minutes or until pudding feels firm to touch { peel back foil to check
} or
a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes, then invert bundt pan over a
serving plate to unmold pudding. Let cool until barely warm, then sprinkle with powdered
sugar. Cut into slices and serve with brown ~ butter hard sauce.
Brown ~ butter; hard sauce. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium
speed, beat reserved solid brown butter from brown butter fig pudding
{ recipe precedes } until smooth. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat on low
speed until well combined. Add 1 tablespoon brandy and 1 teaspoon
vanilla; beat on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
Spoon into a bowl; serve at room temperature, or cover and chill up to 3
days. Bring to room temperature and beat again to restore texture before
serving. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Makes 6 to 8 servings
NOTES: You can brown the butter and make the hard sauce up to 3 days
ahead; cover separately and chill, then bring hard sauce to room
temperature before serving. You can make the pudding up to 1 day ahead;
cool, cover, and store at room temperature. |
