Baked Figs - Chestnut Bread
Stopped by Royal Crown Bakery (the 14th Ave nr 66th St store) this weekend and glory be, they are making the baked figs again this year. (its been a couple years since they were on offer) these figs are stellar, stuffed with a piece of walnut flavored with orange and a bit of spice and lightly glazed.
they will have their great chestnut cake starting around thanksgiving, the salesgirl said. Can hardly wait.
By jen kalb
on Nov 15, 2009 06:13 PM
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What's the going rate for one of these baked figs? Are they as awesome as the cheese danish topped with almonds?
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I think they are around $11 per lb but I might be wrong. they sell them lose instead of in mult-fig lumps as previously. If you are lucky they might give you a sample.
Ihave not had the Danish so cant compare but thanks for the recommendation.
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What's the chestnut cake like? Anything chestnut is by definition good as far as I'm concerned.
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Its a round baked disk which used to be wrapped in a leaf.. Its dense and velvety in texture, not at all moist tho also not dry - it slices thinly when fresh, and has a very nice , slightly sweet flavor.Cant remember, might have a nut or raisin or two. Do give it a try. Id love to work out how to make this.
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I will. Sounds divine. Do you have Carol Field's The Italian Baker? May be a recipe for something of the sort in it, I haven't opened that book in ages but it does have a lot of specialty baked goods recipes.
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nah, she doesnt cover it tho she does have lots of great recipes for similar primitive items like pangiallo and panpepato in that book and in Celebrating Italy.
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Hmm. There's also a Nonna's Kitchen book, no? I think I got rid of that one. How about possibly contacting Nick Malgieri, the other guru of (not only) Italian baking?
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Nah, not there either. There is a french recipe I found last year that I thought to try but have not got around to it yet. Try the "bread" and see.
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You know I will. Thanks for the tip (figs sound fab too).
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Jen--I'd check the work of Lynn Rossetto Kasper. There's a lovely little sidebar essay in her book THE SPLENDID TABLE about the role of chestnuts/chestnut flour in dessert making in Emilia-Romagna and Italy's mountain regions generally before wheat flour and sugar were widely available. (But no recipe for your cake. I looked.)
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nada in the two books I have of hers. Lovely recipes. I was looking for something else and I found a recipe for baked figs similar to Royal Crown in Carol Field's In Nonna's Kitcnen - enuf info I might give that a try.
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I'm fig-mad myself. Definitely going to RC on your recommendation.
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its pretty simple but delicious.
Ive been poaching a lot of dry figs recently but thats a topic for another board.
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Hi, have not been able to squeeze out a visit to Royal Crown (househunting is exceedingly timeconsuming) - did you get there? If so, did they have the chestnut bread? If so also, any indication of how long they will have it? Thanks.
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yes they have it but fitfully - best to call ahead
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Thanks very much, will do.
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