Fig and Wafer Pastries

Ok, this is going to be short, because Chad and I have just gotten back and are still completely in lazy bum do-nothing mode. Don't you just love vacations?

But, I'm writing up one last fig recipe, and then I just might be done for the season. I've bought cartons and cartons, eaten them plain, in ice cream, on toast with cheese, and now as pastries. If you could overdose on these little bundles of flavor, I would probably be in rough shape right now.

What's that, little voice in my ear? Jam? Cake filling? Beautiful fig tarts? Next year, little recipes, next year.

Well, actually, I'll say right now that it's possible I am totally lying and will come back next week with two more fig recipes for you all to try. But probably, more likely, I will be trying to recreate the amazing fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice with ginger, or toasted coconut souffle, that we ate on vacation. Hawaii has some amazing food! And the views aren't bad either...

Fig and Wafer Pastries

INGREDIENTS:

12 figs

3 tbsp confectioner's sugar

2 tbsp melted butter (until the foam subsides)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Tiny pinch of salt

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Slice six of the figs into four equal slices each. Reserve the bottom three slices of each fig, and cut off the stems of the top slice, and place all the top slices in a bowl. Add the other six figs to the bowl, discarding the stems, and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add 3 tbsp of confectioner's sugar and mix it in.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix the butter, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt together until incorporated. Drop the batter by teaspoons onto a greased baking sheet, flattening each ball slightly with your palm (you should have 12 balls total). Bake for about 6 minutes, or until the cookies have spread out and started to brown on the top. Keep an eye on them! This goes fast. Remove the cookies and while they cool on the baking sheet, use a cookie cutter to cut them into circles with a 1-inch diameter. (If you don't have a cookie cutter, use a circular tablespoon-measurer, and just press it really hard into the cookies, and slice around it with a sharp knife.)

Whip the heavy cream and one tablespoon of sugar to soft peaks.

To assemble, layer one wafer circle, one slice of fig, and a small dollop of whipped cream on six of the wafer cookies. On the other six, place a small dollop of whipped cream directly onto the wafer, and top it with a slice of fig. Over the fig, add a dollop of the mashed-fig-and-sugar mixture, and dot the top with whipped cream. Place each of those wafers on top of the wafers topped with whipped cream, and serve. (Just look at the picture. I explained as clearly as I could.)

Makes six little fig/wafer towers.