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Crocette di fichi (Calabrian baked fig crosses)
Almond-stuffed fig crosses
Split dried figs stuffed with almonds and fennel seed, pressed into crosses and baked
Around Cosenza in northern Calabria the late-summer fig crop is dried in the sun, and the best figs are kept for crocette: two figs split open, laid across each other, filled with a toasted almond and a few fennel seeds, then baked until they darken and caramelise. They come out at Christmas, often stored in tins between bay leaves, and are eaten after dinner with nuts and mandarins. Expect a soft, jammy, chewy bite with crunch from the almond and the bright, slightly liquorice note of fennel. They go well with a cup of strong coffee or a little hard cheese. There is no egg and nothing added to bind them: in the oven the figs' own sugars soften and turn sticky, and as they cool they glue the cross together. Chef's tip: pull them out when they look shiny and just a shade darker; the common mistake is baking too long, which makes the figs hard and bitter.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 24 soft dried figsabout 500 g, plump not leathery
- 24 whole almondsskin on, about 30 g
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 orange (optional)zest cut into thin strips
- 6 bay leaves (optional)for storing
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Toast 24 whole almonds on a tray for 6–8 minutes, until they crack when bitten, then set aside. Line the tray with baking paper.
7 minStep 2: Snip the stalk off each of 24 soft dried figs and cut it from the stalk end almost to the base, so it opens like a book but stays joined at the bottom.
Step 3: Open two figs flat and lay one across the other at right angles, cut sides up, to make a cross. Press the centre firmly with your thumb.
Step 4: Put one almond and a pinch of 1 tsp fennel seeds in the middle, with a strip of 1 orange if using. Place a second almond on the opposite arms or fold the arms in over the filling, then press the cross firmly flat again.
Step 5: Repeat to make 12 crosses and set them on the tray.
Step 6: Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the figs look shiny, a shade darker and smell of caramel, but are still soft when pressed.
18 minStep 7: Cool on the tray until they firm up, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight tin between 6 bay leaves leaves for up to 2 months.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 125 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does crocette di fichi (Calabrian baked fig crosses) take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fennel seeds?
- Aniseeds, same amount (a stronger liquorice taste).
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