Pan de higo
Pan de higo, “fig bread”, is not bread but a round of dried figs crushed with toasted almonds, anise, cinnamon and cloves, pressed and air-dried. It is made in many parts of Spain, including Andalusia, Murcia and Extremadura, traditionally in autumn from figs dried after the season. It is sliced and served with mature cheeses — manchego, blue or goat's cheese. It needs no baking, no added sugar and no oil; the low moisture of dried figs helps it keep, but nuts turn rancid over time, so it does not last forever. All it takes is pressing overnight and a day of drying.
Your own work in that: 15 min.
- Preparation 20 min
- Making the paste 15 min
- Pressing 480 min
- Drying 1440 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneToast the almonds
Toast the almonds and sesame in a dry pan for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Set aside 12 whole almonds for decoration.
Ingredients: 500 g soft dried figs · 100 g almonds · 50 g walnuts · 2 tbsp sesame seeds · 1 tsp anise seeds · 1 tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch ground cloves · 1 tsp grated orange zest · 2 tbsp brandy or anise liqueur (optional)
Prepare the figs
Trim the hard stalks from the figs and quarter them. If very dry, soak them 10 minutes in warm water and pat very thoroughly dry — soaked figs shorten the keeping time.
Ingredients: 500 g soft dried figs · 100 g almonds · 50 g walnuts · 2 tbsp sesame seeds · 1 tsp anise seeds · 1 tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch ground cloves · 1 tsp grated orange zest · 2 tbsp brandy or anise liqueur (optional)
Hard stalks out — the rest goes in.Crush the spices
Crush the anise in a mortar and mix with the cinnamon, cloves and orange zest.
Ingredients: 500 g soft dried figs · 100 g almonds · 50 g walnuts · 2 tbsp sesame seeds · 1 tsp anise seeds · 1 tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch ground cloves · 1 tsp grated orange zest · 2 tbsp brandy or anise liqueur (optional)
Grind the paste
Pulse the figs with the almonds, walnuts, sesame and spices in a food processor into a thick, sticky paste with noticeable pieces of nut. Add the brandy, if using. You will have about 680 g of paste.
Ingredients: 500 g soft dried figs · 100 g almonds · 50 g walnuts · 2 tbsp sesame seeds · 1 tsp anise seeds · 1 tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch ground cloves · 1 tsp grated orange zest · 2 tbsp brandy or anise liqueur (optional)
A sticky paste with nut pieces, not smooth.Line the mould
Line an 18 cm round mould or springform tin with cling film, leaving an overhang. The paste makes a round about 2 cm thick.
Ingredients: 500 g soft dried figs · 100 g almonds · 50 g walnuts · 2 tbsp sesame seeds · 1 tsp anise seeds · 1 tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch ground cloves · 1 tsp grated orange zest · 2 tbsp brandy or anise liqueur (optional)
Press the paste
Put the paste in the mould and press down very firmly with your hands until compact and smooth on top. Press the reserved almonds into the top.
Ingredients: 500 g soft dried figs · 100 g almonds · 50 g walnuts · 2 tbsp sesame seeds · 1 tsp anise seeds · 1 tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch ground cloves · 1 tsp grated orange zest · 2 tbsp brandy or anise liqueur (optional)
Press hard — the round must hold together.Press overnight
Cover with the film, set a plate on top and weigh it down, for example with jars. Leave somewhere cool for 8 hours.
Ingredients: 500 g soft dried figs · 100 g almonds · 50 g walnuts · 2 tbsp sesame seeds · 1 tsp anise seeds · 1 tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch ground cloves · 1 tsp grated orange zest · 2 tbsp brandy or anise liqueur (optional)
Dry and wrap
Unmould, remove the film and leave on a rack somewhere airy for 24 hours so the surface dries. Wrap in baking paper and keep somewhere cool and dry for up to a month, or in the fridge.
Ingredients: 500 g soft dried figs · 100 g almonds · 50 g walnuts · 2 tbsp sesame seeds · 1 tsp anise seeds · 1 tsp cinnamon · 1 pinch ground cloves · 1 tsp grated orange zest · 2 tbsp brandy or anise liqueur (optional)
Before you start
With cheese
Pan de higo is served in thin slices with cheese: manchego, sheep's, goat's or blue. It also suits a board of mature cured meats and a glass of sherry.
The figs
Soft, fleshy Turkish or Spanish figs are best. Hard, dry ones stay lumpy in the paste, so soak them first and dry them very well.
Storage
Wrapped in paper, somewhere cool (below 20°C) and dry, eat it within a month; in the fridge, also wrapped in cling film, it keeps up to 3 months. Dried figs hold little water, but walnuts turn rancid quickly, and soaked figs and fresh orange zest add moisture — if the figs were soaked, keep the round in the fridge from the start. This much brandy does not preserve it. A dry white bloom is crystallised sugar; fuzzy green or grey patches are mould — then throw the whole round away.