172. Baked Figs with Grand Marnier and Whipped Cream (p. 804)

I don't usually see fresh figs in the stores, so, when I spotted some a couple of weeks ago at Mann Orchard, I picked up a pint and figured that I'd find something to do with them. I picked this recipe because I it looked quick and I had all of the other ingredients on hand.

First I pricked the bottoms of the figs with a fork, then I arranged them in an ovenproof skillet. I sprinkled the figs with a good amount of sugar and added a bit of water to the pan. I put them in the oven and baked them for about a half hour, spooning the juices over the figs a couple of times while they cooked.

I moved the pan to the stovetop, added some Grand Marnier and brought it to a boil. And now for the dramatic climax of this recipe. The Book says to "Remove from heat and carefully ignite pan juices." Well, wouldn't you know it, my flambe wouldn't flame. I tried to light it a couple of times, and nothing. Not sure what the problems was. I've flambeed before. Maybe I boiled the Grand Mariner too long and too much of the alcohol cooked off. A bit dejected, I transferred the figs to a serving bowl and boiled down the juice until it was quite reduced and nice and thick and syrupy. I spooned the syrup onto the figs and set them aside while I made the whipped cream, which is heavy cream, sugar and a bit of Grand Marnier.

This is an impressive and elegant dessert. Just look at that picture. The colors are stunning. And the flavor is just great, too. Figs are luxurious and rich. Baking them gives them a nice softness without being mushy. The syrup is sweet, rich and silky with a hint of orange flavor from the Grand Marnier. It was a bit boozy, but I think that had something to do with my flambe failure. The whipped cream was excellent. It was creamy and sweet with an unexpected orangy-boozy kick. This whipped cream would even be excellent with some plain berries.

Date Cooked: June 26, 2009
Degree of Difficulty: Medium
Rating: A-