Spice Bread with Figs steeped in Port Wine
Special Canadian Treat
Ingredients for spice bread:
150 grams flour (preferably unbleached)
1 tablespoon baking powder
280 grams unsalted butter
200 grams brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons "four spice" mix
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoons honey
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites beaten until they form soft peaks
Preparation:
Cream butter and sugar together with electric mixer. Add egg yorks, honey and all sifted dry ingredients. Gently fold in egg white with a spatula. Transfer to a greased bread pan dusted with flour. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Ingredients for figs steeped in port wine:
15 fresh figs
Water
Port Wine
150 grams sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anises
Preparation:
Make a cross incision in the top of each fig and place in a large pot. Cover completely with liguid (half water, half Port wine). Add sugar, cinnamon and star anise. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 8 minutes. Remove figs from syrup. Set aside a small amount of syrup. Reduce the remaining syrup to the consistency of caramel. Cut figs into quarters.
Presentation:
Cut the spice bread into thin slices (about 1/4 inch). Brush over with unreduced syrup. Cover each slice with 4 fig quarters. Add a small dollop of whipped cream and repeat the operation twice. Cover with reduced syrup and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Courtesy of Head Chef of La Pinsonniere, Relais & Chateaux, Quebec, Canada.
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