Caramelized figs recipe

A treat for the libertine in all of us.

Fichi caramellati, caramelized figs.

It's not fig season yet, I know. But this morning I woke up and jumped out of bed. I had dreamt of making toast, smearing it with ricotta and topping it with this:

Photo courtesy of the dessertedgirl.com

Here's how to make decadent happen:

1 kg (2.2 lbs) fresh, ripe figs (Mission or green), unpeeled
500 g (1.1 lb) sugar
1 glass of balsamic vinegar
2 glasses of water
A splash of dark Cuban rum
Cream

Wash the figs carefully–the skins shouldn't break off–and gently pat them dry. Place them gently in a saucepan large enough to hold them all in one layer.

In a bowl, melt the sugar in the vinegar and cover the figs with it, add the water and gently simmer until the liquid becomes thick and syrupy, and the figs fall apart. This could take up to 1 hour (depending on stove power and fig tenderness, the riper the figs, the better the outcome).

Spoon the glazed, jammy compote in Martini glasses or champagne flutes, splash with some rum and a dollop of fresh cream. Or ricotta…

Note: This recipe has been updated and improved in 9/2010 thanks to Saskia's kind contribution.