Dried Fig spread

I picked up a couple pounds of dried black mission figs the other day and had some extra that I wanted to use up.  I stumbled upon this super easy recipe for a fig spread that has my mind racing on possible uses.  For now I have used it as a spread on breads and crackers but thinking homemade fig newtons or fig filled shortbread cookies.

It's definitely easy to get a little sad in the Winter about not having a lot of fresh fruits but it's also a good time to use dried fruits and be a little creative.  This recipe can easily be used for other types of fruits.  One thing I really like about it is the fact that it really doesn't use much sugar since the dried fruits already have a high concentrate of their own sugars, which are even heightened by the drying process.

All You Need:

1.5 Cups Water

1 Cup quartered dried figs

2 TBSP sugar

2 TBSP Whiskey or Cognac

1 TBSP Lemon Juice.

Combine all of the ingredients except Cognac and Lemon Juice into a small saucepan.  Stir while bringing the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the figs are soft.

Transfer to a food processor and add the lemon juice and cognac.  Pulse until smooth and thick.   You can add some water to play with the consistency if you prefer a thinner spread.

Cool and refrigerate until use.