Dried fruit and nuts, are the theme for this month’s WTSIM event, hosted by Andrew of SpittoonExtra.

I have been baking with plenty of both lately, so there might be a few more recipes popping up in future posts. But for now, here is a Spanish spiced bread, Pan de Higos; a dense dessert sweetmeat, as Frank Camorra describes it, that is somewhat akin to Italian panforte in taste and texture. I love it for it’s simplicity and appearance (that glorious colour in cross section, not quite conveyed by my amateur photography). Most importantly of course, it tastes pretty darn good!

Spicy Chocolate and Fig Bread :
(Pan de Higos; from Movida by Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish)

120g dark chocolate, chopped
145g caster sugar
350g honey
500g blanched almonds
250g whole dried figs
165 plain flour
4 tablespoons good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Grease and flour a 22 x 12 x 6 cm loaf tin, tipping out any excess flour. Preheat the oven to 180’C.

Gently melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a separate saucepan, melt the sugar and honey over low heat for 10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

Meanwhile, combine the almonds, figs, flour, cocoa and cinnamon in a large bowl. Pour the melted chocolate and the honey and sugar mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well. You should end up with a stiff, slightly sticky mass. Spoon into the prepared tin and use lightly dampened hands to smooth over.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until it is dry but still yields to the touch on top. It will seem rather underdone; however the bread will continue to cook and firm up once out of the oven. Let cool in the tin for 5 minutes then run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely; this will take several hours.

To serve, cut into 3mm thick slices. Pan de higos can be refrigerated, unsliced and covered, for up to 2 weeks.

[Note: I used dried Black Mission Figs and a mixture of nuts like pistachios, macadamias and almonds]

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Meringue Topping :
(from Desserts by the Yard by Sherry Yard)

For the cake:
240g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
113g unsalted butter
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

For the meringue topping:
8 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar

Make the cake:
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 176’C. Butter a 10-inch fluted tart pan or 9-inch springform pan. The pan must be at least 1 inch deep or the batter will overflow.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl for 2 to 3 minutes at 50% power. Stir together with a rubber spatula until smooth.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs and the sugar on medium speed until pale and the mixture forms a ribbon when lifted from the bowl with a spatula. On low speed, beat in the cocoa powder and the chocolate mixture and combine well. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan from front to back and continue to bake for another 8 minutes, or until cake is slightly firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack to room temperature.

Make the meringue:
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 190’C. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and inrease the speed to medium. Continue beating while you gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Beat the mixture to stiff, satiny peaks.

Spoon the meringue over the chocolate cake, creating lots of wisps and peaks. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown. Serve from the pan. Refrigerate leftovers.

[Note: I only made a 1/2 recipe of the meringue as I thought the full amount might be overkill as far as my savoury-preferring family is concerned].