Torta Mediterranea ai Fichi, Mandorle, Noci e Solleone (Sunny Fig, Almond and nut cake-very old Italian recipe!)

It's raining outside... I can smell soil and moss. The sky is too grey  and doesn't file like smiling. The birds are hiding... no love songs in the air. The only sound I hear is rain... rain on the window pane, rain on the leaves... rain, rain, rain... rain on me...

I look out of the window, wishing that I could see some blue...

I have, inside me, a universe of colours, faces, places, which hold my hand and make me smile when the sky is sad.

I am going to find refuge inside my world...

I grew up in the city, only aware of the sky, the heat, potted geraniums and, luckily, for most of my childhood I did have a garden. I can see Anna, now, skating round a fountain and hiding, to watch the white and black cat give birth inside a huge trough full of marguerites.

My mother took me to the countryside, whenever she could, and she taught me about nature, beauty, the wonder of the a scent, and the power of wild herbs. All the vegetables she bought were organic  "Senza concime!" Our very fresh fee range eggs were often brought to the house by a farmer, who came to the city to deliver the precious goods.

One day, he rang the bell. I heard voices (my mum's, mainly as, like me, she liked talking!) The door was then shut "Ci vediamo!" Then she walked into the kitchen, with a beaming smile. She was holding a beautiful basket. A layer of big leaves hid something "It's a treasure!" -my mum said. She slowly lifted the "lid" made of huge, highly scented leaves and, underneath... beautiful, magnificent, enormous figs!

My mum told me these were very special, bright purple inside, as green as a chameleon, on the outside. We washed the figs and ate some of them. Mine were as big as my hand and tasted just delicious. My mum said I shouldn't peel them, as "La pelle contiene tutte le vitamine!" ("All the goodness is in the skin!") and, just like la Nonna in Saturday Night Fever, said to John Travolta, my mum said: "MANGIA, MANGIA!" "Eat up!" to me. And I ATE!

Last Summer, encouraged by some of the local old ladies in the little town of Ogliastro (they really like me!) I decided to dry some figs. A lady called Teresa gave me step by step instructions, so, I picked a basket full of ripe figs from one of our trees and, very patiently, I put them out in the sun, hoping they would dry for me and be very delicious!

My daughter Gabriella picking figs in Italy

I watched my figs for over a week, as the sun turned them golden, juicy inside and very sugary...

                                                                 

When I took my figs with me to Bari, I only had to leave them in the hot sun for one day and WOW! They instantly were ready for the next stage! I plunged the figs in boiling water for just one minute, took them out, drained and dried them.

I cut the dried figs in half, then put some filling in each (almonds, some fennel seeds and a few "bits" of lemon peel) and... my beauties were ready to be baked!

I placed my figs in a hot oven (180C, 350F,Gas 4) until they turned golden, making sure they wouldn't go hard and very dry. This took about 15 minutes.

When the figs came out of the oven, I did just what my friends Teresa and Tittella had done with their figs: I threaded each one onto a wooden skewer, alternating with bay leaves. I am sure the ancient Romans must have done this! 

My figs looked beautiful and tasted like solid honey, mixed with sunshine, sea breeze and touch of the past. A butterfly told me so!

Torta Mediterranea ai Fichi,

Mandorle, Noci e Solleone

Ingredients:

150g ( 5 1/2oz) butter

90g (3 1/4 oz)  plain flour

3 eggs

1 tsp honey

140g (5 oz) sugar

1 tsp honey
50ml (1-2 fl oz) sweet wine

60g (3 oz)  nuts

(I used almonds and walnuts)

200g  (7 oz) dried figs

Preheat oven (180C, 350F,Gas 4)

Today, as I needed to feel sunny, I made a truly delicious cake, using dried figs, almonds and walnuts. As I prepared my ingredients, I thought that this cake (it's an Italian recipe!) would be and look like a little "treasure chest" full of sun, and sweetness, and love, mixed with a bit of past and lots of lovely thoughts.

Before I started, I prepared my ingredients, by weighing them, and chopping my figs and nuts. I chopped my nuts quite roughly, as I wanted to add crunch to my cake.

I separated my eggs (yolks in one bowl and whites in the other.) Using my electric whisk, I combined my yolks with sugar and honey, until they become zabaione like and fluffy. I was now ready to add my softened butter and Sherry. I didn't use a lot of Sherry, to prevent my ingredients from separating.

Next, I whisked my egg whites until they formed stiff peaks and put aside. I went back to my egg mixture and carefully added my chopped nuts, flour and baking powder and finally my figs. I blended the ingredients together and then gradually folded in my egg whites.

The mixture looked lovely and somehow Christmasy. By now I had visions of sugar plum fairies mixed with sea foam and almond blossom.

I baked my cake in a preheated oven. I chose to bake it in a loaf (plum cake) tin, so it could easily be sliced. It took longer than the 40 minutes it should have taken. I just kept checking, until it felt firm and looked a rich, sunny shade of gold.

 

I know that in the "olden" days this was considered a Christmas cake, but, to me, it was a cake full of honey, blossom, fruit and sunshine! It's truly delicious! I never knew figs could taste that good!