“Now bring us some figgy pudding, now bring us some figgy pudding, now…”

It’s our first Make-Ahead Monday of Advent 2024!

And this year’s theme is FIGS!

For some reason, our grocer has been stocking fresh figs well into December, and we’re making good use of them in a delicious Fig & Ginger Jam, which we’ll be putting into small 1/4-pint jars for gifting. SSj’s Fig and Ginger Jam is a no pectin recipe with just four ingredients: Fresh Figs, Sugar, Candied Ginger bits, and Fresh Lemon Juice.

To complement the fresh figs, we’re using dried ones in an amazing cookie recipe. In the spirit of all the Nonnas, we’re making Cuccidati, Italian Fig Cookies which put the knock-off “Newton” to shame. The recipes posted early this morning. And we’re copying them below for your convenience!

Don’t forget to scroll or click down to the bottom of this post to check out our “ON THIS DAY” Feature, which lists the posts of Christmas past!

Fig and Ginger Jam

Print Recipe

Fig and Ginger Jam

Servings: 7 half-pints

Equipment

• copper or stainless jam pan or 6-quart heavy-bottomed pot.
• candy thermometer
• mason jars, lids, and rings
• large metal canning pod with lid
• large mixing spoons, ladles, funnel, knife and cutting board

Ingredients

• 1700 grams [3.75 lbs] fresh figs [I used mission figs]
• 850 grams [1.87 lbs] grams sugar
• ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice [approximately 3 lemons]
• ¾ cup candied ginger bits, diced

Instructions

Prep the Figs

• Wash the figs, slice off and discard the stems, and slice them into quarters.
• Place the figs and sugar in a large container and stir to combine.
• Cover and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Prepare for Canning

• Clean and sterilize 7 half-pint mason jars [or the equivalent] and keep them warm.
• Fill a large water bath canner with clean water and begin to bring the water to a boil.
• Place 7 mason jar lids [or the equivalent] in a small saucepan, covering them with hot water, and set on low/simmer to keep warm. Please Note: Some newer Bernardin lids do not require heating. Please check with manufacturer for details.

Make the Jam

• Affix a candy thermometer to a copper or stainless jam pan or 6-quart heavy-bottomed pot.
• Place the chopped fig and sugar mixture in your pot.
• Add the lemon juice and diced ginger bits.
• Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to incorporate the ingredients as you do so.
• Once boiling [which usually takes about 15 minutes], reduce the heat slightly [I like to waver between a 3 and 4 on my Low-1-to-6-High oven] and keep the jam at a simmer or low-boil for anywhere from another 10 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the jam thickens considerably and a candy thermometer reads 220℉. [My last batch took about 50 minutes total, but time varies considerably due to climate, room temperature, and the wateriness of the fruit.]

  If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can also do a "plate test." See notes below.

Can the Jam

• Ladle the jam into your warm, sterilized half-pint jars, leaving a ¼-inch headspace.
• Wipe jar rims clean, add a warm lid to each jar, and close with a ring, making sure each ring is not too tight by unscrewing a half-to-full turn after securing.
• Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. With the lid on the canning pot, the water should return to a rolling boil before the timer starts.
• Remove the jars from the canner and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
• Check to make sure the lids have properly sealed.
• You may wish to rinse the jars to remove any residual stickiness before decorating with labels and ribbons.

Notes

I used 12 1/4-pint jars and 1 1/2-pint jar for the photographs here, as I like to use these smaller jars for holiday gifts. 

Plate Test:

1. Before you begin canning, put a plate in the freezer.
2. When you think your jam is ready to test, take the jam off the heat momentarily.
3. Drop a teaspoon or so of jam onto the frozen plate.
4. Place it back in the freezer for two minutes.
5. Then, push your finger through the jam on the plate. When it wrinkles up ratherthan sliding back into the gap your finger made, your jam is ready.
6. If it’s not ready, put the pan back over the heat, cook a few minutes more, and test again. [I usually only do 2-3 tests, but I’ve done a few extra on the plate below, for show.]

 

Cuccidati

Print Recipe

Cuccidati

These Italian fig cookies are the bigger better tastier inspo "Newtons" you already couldn't get enough of as a kid.

Servings: 32 to 36

Ingredients

Filling

• 14 oz [or 410 grams] dried figs [Almost all of a bag of dried mission figs labelled 454 grams minus 3]
• 1 cup [or 125 grams] pitted medjool dates [torn in half to ensure the pits have, indeed been removed]
• 1 cup [or 100] grams sliced blanched almonds
• 1 cup [or 100] grams chopped walnuts
• ½ cup honey [or a mix of ¼ cup honey and ¼ cup either orange marmalade or apricot jam]
• ¼ cup brandy, liqueur, marsala, or orange juice [I used Courvoisier]
• 1 tbs orange zest [from 1 large orange]
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Dough

• 3¼ cups all purpose flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup chilled butter, cubed

Glaze

• 1½ cups icing sugar
• 3 tbs milk, half and half, or lemon juice [lemon juice will impart a slight yellow colour to the icing]
• sprinkles [shown here: red and green nonpareils]
• food colouring [OPTIONAL, and not shown here]

Instructions

Filling

• OPTIONAL: Toast the nuts by preheating an oven to 350℉. Line a pan with parchment. Spread the sliced almonds and chopped pecans on the pan. Toast for 7-9 minutes, until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Remove from oven.
• FOR MOST BAKES: Unless your dried figs are very pliant, soak the figs in boiling water for 10 minutes before patting dry with a towel.
• Remove the stems from the figs and slice in half.
• If you have a small food processor, you will want to do the following in two batches, by dividing the ingredients roughly in half.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulse the figs, dates, and nuts to a fine dice.
• Add the remaining filling ingredients and pulse until the mixture forms a paste.
• Place the paste in a bowl or container, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to 24.
• 

Dough

• If you have a small food processor, you will want to do the following in two batches by dividing the ingredients roughly in half. See Notes for alternatives.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with either a dough blade or a regular blade, combine the dry ingredients.
• Add the butter, first, pulsing with the dry ingredients until small seeds of dough are formed.
• Then, add the eggs, until a dough forms.
• Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface, kneading into a large ball if necessary. [You may notice that the processed dough still feels a bit "sugary" or "grainy." This is fine for now.]
• Divide the dough into four equal balls, press them into discs, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24.
• 

Assembly and Baking

• Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment or silpats.
• Remove one or two discs of dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit for approximately 10-15 minutes, until they become malleable.
• Fill a small bowl with water and set to one side of your work surface.
• On a well-floured surface lined with parchment, wax paper, or a silpat/rolling mat, work the dough into a ball. If the dough previously felt "grainy" with sugar, now is the time to make it a bit more malleable by kneading it gently with floured hands.
• On that same well-floured surface, with a well-floured rolling pin, roll the ball of dough into a large rectangle, 5 inches wide by 14 inches long. It's okay if you end up working the dough a bit, or taking a few attempts. The dough is forgiving.
• Use a butter knife or bench scraper to slice the formed dough into a perfect rectangle.
• Remove the filling from the refrigerator and divide into 4 equal sections while still in its container.
• On a separate or adjacent clean surface [such as a countertop, cutting board, parchment, wax paper, or silpat/rolling mat] take one of the 4 sections of filling and roll it by hand, working it into a long even cylinder approximately 14 inches long.
• Place the cylinder of filling onto the rectangle of dough, approximately ½-inch from the edge of one of the 14-inch long sides.
• Dip one or two fingers into the water and wet the four edges of the dough.
• Use a scraper or the edges of your palms to nudge the visible ½-inch of dough along the 14inch log of filling up against the log.
• From this raised side or dough, roll the dough over the cylinder of filling, so the filling becomes completely enclosed within the dough, and the dough forms a log. The dough will definitely be overlapped at the bottom of this cookie log. [The fully formed log is depicted as already sliced in two in the graphic below.]
• Using a knife or a bench scraper, divide the log into 8 or 9 pieces. [I tend to divide the dough it in half, then into fourths, then into eighths.] You may slice your cookies at a 45° angle or straight across.
• If desired, use a knife or the scraper's edge to make two evenly spaced slits on one long side of each cookie, and one evenly spaced slit on the other side of each cookie.
• 
• Place the cuccidati on a prepared tray and bake for approximately 18 minutes, until just beginning to brown on top and with a lovely light brown base when lifted to view.
• Leave the cuccidati on the pan for 3-5 minutes before sliding off the parchment and transferring to a wire rack to cool.
• Repeat the process with the three remaining portions of dough and filling.
• Once cool, unglazed cuccidati may be packaged and frozen for up to six months.
• 

Glaze

• Whisk the icing sugar and milk until a thick glaze forms. And, if desired, tint the glaze with food colouring.
• Place a piece of parchment beneath your wire racks and with a spoon or fork, drizzle the cuccidati with the thick glaze.
• Decorate the glazed cuccidati with coloured sprinkles before the glaze sets.
• Allow the cookies to sit for at least 10 minutes or until the glaze is set, before plating or packing into your holiday cookie tins.

Notes

As an alternative to using the food processor for the dough you may:

A] Use a pastry blender and then a spatula and work the dough in a bowl, following the same order of operations [dry ingredients, butter, eggs] as above.

or

B] Use a stand mixer, creaming the butter and sugar first, before adding eggs, and then the dry ingredients.

ON THIS DAY

2023: Karaoke and Clove Orange Pomanders
2022: Fry Day Film Noir
2021: “Pide-Day,” Turkish Pide Two Ways
2020: Retro Bakes, The Candy Cane Look-Alike Edition
2019: Design Bookplates
2018: Write a Punk Rock Christmas Carol
2017: Christmas Concert
2016: Tree Trimming Party with Homemade Eggnog
2015: Rewrite the Song of the Summer as a Holiday Carol
2014: Adopt an Animal From the World Wildlife Fund
2013: Give a Bear Hug!
2012: Read & Illustrate The Winter’s Tale, Acts I-II
2011: Pancakes, Syrup, and a Classic Film

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