I might have mentioned before that we have a small fig tree in our backyard that we planted when we moved here five years ago. It was in a pot for a long time until I finally decided it would do so much better in the ground.
I made this decision after it first produced fruit three years ago—one fruit. One very small fig, beautiful red on the inside and sweet as anything I’ve ever tasted. I realized that I was depriving myself of lots of gorgeous figs, so I put it into the ground so it would thrive. And thrive it has! Last year, we had a bumper crop. Though I must admit, the screwy weather we’ve had all this year put a bit of a dent in its production.
Unlike me, figs seem to love the heat. Sadly, for much of the early summer, the weather fluctuated between hot and cold so much that the fruit was plentiful but very slow to ripen. Thankfully, though, it’s coming, but even if it wasn’t, I’d be buying them up at the local market.
There isn’t a reliable trick to finding a perfectly ripe fig—they shouldn’t be moldy, and you need to make sure that they’re kind of soft and somewhat squeezable, i.e., not hard. But also not squishy. But you still won’t really know until you cut them open. Hopefully, when you do, the fruit is beautifully moist and the seeds nearly bursting from its skin, with a luscious color. You just kind of have to hope for the best. I’ve been lucky!
I’m always on the lookout for fig recipes in hot anticipation of this season. I found this particular one in the New York Times Magazine Section. If you are a fig lover like me, you’ll want to try this fabulous fig frozen yogurt.
The base also could be used with just about any other fruit—it is sweet, tangy, and delicious. What makes this recipe a bit special is that the figs are roasted with honey first, making them even jammier than they naturally are. No cooking is involved beyond that first roast, and no eggs are necessary, either—just seven basic ingredients. Best of all, it’s easy.
Caramelized Fig Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1-½ cups unstrained plain whole milk yogurt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp honey + more for drizzling in roasting the figs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- 10-12 fresh figs + more for garnish
- Extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, and chopped pistachios for garnish
Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Cut the figs in half lengthwise and arrange on the lined sheet pan. Drizzle the figs with honey and roast for 15-20 minutes, until jammy and lightly browned around the edges. Set aside until cool.
Using a whisk or immersion blender, combine the yogurt, cream, sugar, honey, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
When the figs are completely cool, chop them in a food processor or blender, leaving some chunks for texture. Transfer them to a container to chill along with the yogurt base.
When ready to process, freeze the yogurt base first in the ice cream machine, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Once it starts to thicken, add the caramelized figs and continue freezing. When the fro-yo starts to hold its shape (like soft-serve), stop the machine and transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container with a lid. Freeze overnight for a good, scoopable consistency.
Serve with a small drizzle of olive oil, fig pieces, a sprinkle of chopped pistachios, and a dash of flaky sea salt.
Serves about 4.
