Pan de Higo, Spanish Fig and Almond Loaf
Pan de higo, meaning fig bread though it contains no flour, is one of the oldest sweets in the Iberian larder, a way of pressing a glut of late-summer figs into something that keeps for months. Versions run down the eastern coast of Spain and across into Portugal and North Africa, each with its own spicing, but the frame is constant: dried figs pounded to a paste, bound with toasted almonds, perfumed with cinnamon, clove, and aniseed. It needs no sugar because figs are already half sugar by weight, and no oven because the fruit itself glues the loaf. Toast the nuts and grind the spices fresh, since those two steps are the difference between a dull brick and a fragrant one. Cut it into thin slivers and eat it the way it is meant to be eaten, a small square at a time, with a handful of almonds or a piece of fruit.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Dried figs, hard stems removed
- 3/4 cup Almonds, toasted
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
- 1/2 tsp Fennel seed, toasted and ground
- 1 tsp cassia cinnamon, ground
- 1/4 tsp Cloves, ground
- 1 whole Oranges, zest only
Method
- Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant and lightly colored, about 4 minutes, then chop them coarsely. Toast the sesame in the same pan for a minute. Raw nuts taste flat in a sweet this concentrated, and toasting is the only step that adds depth here.
- Toast the fennel seed until it smells of anise, then grind it with the cinnamon and clove. Aniseed is the traditional note in pan de higo, and grinding your own spice fresh gives it far more life than a jar.
- Process the figs to a thick, sticky paste in a food processor. Their own sugars are the only binder in the loaf, which is why no honey or syrup is needed. If the figs are very dry, a teaspoon of water helps them come together.
- Knead the almonds, sesame, ground spices, and orange zest into the fig paste by hand until evenly studded. The mix will be stiff and tacky, closer to marzipan than dough.
- Press firmly into a compact log or disk, wrap tight in parchment, and chill overnight. Pressing removes air pockets so the loaf slices clean, and a night in the cold firms it enough to cut into thin wafers.
- Roll the edge in the remaining sesame and slice thin to serve. Kept wrapped and cold it lasts for weeks, which is the whole point: this was made to carry sweetness through a winter with no refrigeration.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 130 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber, 5 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
