Walnut-Stuffed Figs
This is the kind of dessert that shows up across the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant: dried figs, a nut hidden inside, a little spice, and no added sugar because a good dried fig already carries plenty. Simmering them in orange juice does two things at once, softening the figs and, as they give up their own pectin, reducing the juice to a syrup that coats them. A roll in toasted sesame adds crunch against the soft fruit. Serve two or three per person, cold, with tea or coffee.
Ingredients
- 12 wholes Dried figs
- 1/2 cup Walnuts, toasted, 12 large pieces for stuffing
- 2 wholes Oranges, 1 tbsp zest plus the juice
- 1 whole Ceylon cinnamon, stick, or 0.5 tsp ground
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted, to coat
Method
- Toast the walnuts in a dry pan until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Toasting drives off the raw tannic edge and brings out the oil, so each nut tastes richer inside the sweet fig.
- Snip the hard stem off each fig and press a thumb into the top to open a pocket. Tuck a toasted walnut piece into each one and pinch it closed.
- Lay the figs snugly in a small pan and pour over the orange juice and zest. Add the cinnamon and enough water to come halfway up the figs. Cover and simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Uncover and let the liquid bubble down to a glossy glaze, 3 to 5 minutes more. The figs release their own sugar and natural pectin as they cook, which is what thickens the orange juice into a syrup with nothing added.
- Roll the warm figs in the toasted sesame seeds and let them cool. They are better after a few hours in the fridge, when the syrup clings and the flavor deepens, so this is a make-ahead sweet.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 150 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.
