Fig Cake

My parents have a huge fig tree in the back yard and this time it's loaded with gigantic figs. As a kid, I loved eating them raw, fresh off the tree. Now, not so much. So I have been trying to find recipes for them. Here's one that I modified and made my own. My next experiment will be using fig preserves in the place of fresh figs.

Fig Cake

This is sort of like a coffee cake or quick bread.
You'll need the following ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (too much nutmeg for me. Next time, 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup butter flavored crisco, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped figs
1 cup toasted chopped pecans (optional)


Stir together the dry ingredients; stir in egg, oils, and buttermilk. Stir in vanilla. Fold in figs and pecans. Pour into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan.

Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. I sifted a little bit of confectioners sugar over the top of it.

This is a re-post from a few years back. I am trying to collect and copy all of my recipe posts from the past in this blog. (wish me luck with that) ;)

Ice Cream Cheesecake

Confession: I haven't made this one yet, but I'm planning on making it this weekend. Photos of the pie and reviews coming soon.

Ice Cream Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons margarine, melted

Filling:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1 quart Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
1 (12 oz.) jar red raspberry preserves
1 cup whipped cream topping (or ½ cup whipping cream, whipped)
9” butter spring from pan


Combine graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, sugar and margarine and press over bottom and sides of 9” buttered spring form pan. Chill.

Prepare filling by softening and whipping cream cheese. Be sure to use chilled bowl and beaters and beat ice cream, adding cream cheese. Spoon ¼ of cheese mixture over crust.

Drizzle 1/3 preserves over mixture. Preserves will sink to bottom. Repeat with ice cream layer and preserves. Save last third of preservers for later. Freeze mixture with crust.

Before serving, add whipped cream topping (or whipped whipping cream) and remaining preserves on top.

Time To Make The Donuts

Last year for Christmas, my mama gave us Paula Deen's, "My First Cookbook" and we finally tried one of the recipes this morning. Whod'a thought canned biscuits could be so good? Checking the pantry, we only had the ingredients for powdered donuts, but Stephen didn't mind. We used an apple corer for Stephen to cut the holes out with, which was perfect because he can grasp it easier. After they were all finished, we each had a donut and split all the donut holes (we each had five). Needless to say, for about an hour we were on an amazing sugar high. I managed to get some laundry done while he chased the cat around the house, but now we've come down from it and are just a couple of lethargic couch potatoes watching the Tom and Jerry hour on the cartoon network. I would advise you to limit yourself to ONE donut if you can, because they are very sweet.

Paula Deen's Canned Biscuit Dough Donuts and Holes
(you'll need the help of an adult for frying the donuts!) ;p

Ingredients:
* Peanut oil, for frying
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup cocoa powder
* 5 tablespoon milk, divided
* 2 cup confectioners’ sugar, divided
* Chocolate sprinkles
* Colored sprinkles
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2 cans large buttermilk biscuits

Directions:
Heat 2-inches peanut oil in a large pot or dutch oven to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and ground cinnamon, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, set aside. This is the vanilla icing. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of milk, set aside. This is the chocolate icing.

Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board and with a 1-1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out a hole from the middle of each biscuit. Fry them in the oil until golden and then flip with tongs to fry the other side. You can even fry the donut holes. Drain on paper towels and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar or glaze and sprinkle as desired.

Recipe by Paula Deen
Servings: 16-20 servings
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 2 min
Difficulty: Easy