Pan de Higo

Andalusian dried fig and almond pressed cake with anise, cinnamon, and orange

Origin: Moorish Al-Andalus (Andalusia, Spain)

From the journey of Fig.

Pan de higo (bread of figs) is the canonical confection of the Andalusian autumn: made when the year's fig harvest has been dried and the new almonds are in from the orchards of Málaga and Almería, eaten through the winter with hard sheep's cheese and a glass of fino sherry or Amontillado. Its origins are Moorish: the Arab agronomists and confectioners of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba (756-1031 CE) introduced eastern fig cultivars and the Arab tradition of pressed dried-fruit confections to Iberian soil, and the technique of pounding dried figs with almonds, spices, and aromatic seeds is documented in Andalusian cookery from at least the 12th century. After the Christian Reconquista completed the absorption of Granada in 1492, the pan de higo tradition passed intact into Spanish domestic cooking, where it remains one of the great regional confections of Andalusia, Extremadura, and the Canary Islands. It is eaten in thin slices, always with a hard cheese (manchego, ibores, zamorano) and often with a drizzle of extra honey. Spanish Franciscan missionaries who carried the fig to California in the 18th century were also, inevitably, carrying the pan de higo tradition that would have been a staple of their friary kitchens.

Ingredients

Figs

  • 400 g soft dried figs (Turkish or Andalusian), stems removed

Nuts

  • 150 g blanched whole almonds, toasted in a dry pan until golden

Sweetener

  • 2 tbsp dark honey (such as oak honey or rosemary honey)

Spice

  • 1 tsp anise seeds (or fennel seeds)
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves

Flavouring

  • 1 large orange, finely grated zest only
  • 2 tbsp Spanish brandy or anisette (such as Anís del Mono), optional

Wrapping

  • Fresh or dried fig leaves, for wrapping (traditional), or cling film

Method

  1. Place the dried figs in a food processor and pulse until they form a coarse, sticky paste. Do not over-process to a smooth paste: some texture from the fig seeds and skin is desirable.
  2. Add the honey, anise seeds, cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, and brandy (if using) to the fig paste. Pulse a few more times to incorporate the flavourings.
  3. Turn the mixture out into a large bowl. Add the toasted whole almonds and knead with your hands until the almonds are evenly distributed throughout the fig paste. The mixture should be stiff enough to hold a shape.
  4. Shape the mixture into a log approximately 20cm long and 7cm in diameter, or into a round disc. Wrap tightly in fresh fig leaves (overlapping the leaves) or in cling film.
  5. Place the wrapped cake on a board. Set a heavy weight on top (a cast-iron pan, a heavy book, or similar) and leave at room temperature for at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours, to press and firm.
  6. Unwrap and slice thinly with a sharp knife to serve. Serve with aged manchego or other hard sheep's-milk cheese, and a drizzle of additional honey if desired.

Notes

Pan de higo keeps for many weeks at room temperature, wrapped in its fig leaves, and actually improves over time as the flavours meld and deepen. In Andalusia, it is traditionally made in October when the figs are freshly dried, left to press and mature through November, and served at Christmas. The almonds can be replaced with toasted pine nuts for a more luxurious version; some Canarian recipes add a tablespoon of cacao powder for a darker, slightly bitter edge. The combination of pan de higo with manchego cheese, olives, and cured jamón serrano is one of the great simple cheese-board combinations of Spanish cuisine.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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