This fig and milk dessert is an old Turkish recipe, and it’s prepared with only those two ingredients. In addition to its simplicity, it’s without any added sugars -thanks to the dried figs- and any flour, thanks to a milk fermentation process (similar to that of yogurt) that gives it a firm consistency.
Ingredients:
1/2 liter of whole milk
6-8 dried figs
Optionally for garnish:
A few chopped walnuts
Cinnamon powder
These indicated proportions result in about 4-5 portions.
Procedure:
Soak the figs for at least half an hour in warm water. Then cut and discard the ends and cut the figs into small pieces. Heat the milk in a saucepan, remove it from the heat when it reaches approx. 60 degrees (that is, without letting it boil) and add the pieces of figs. Process with a hand blender and serve in individual moulds. Cover and let stand in a warm place for at least 4 hours, until they get a firmer consistence. Reserve then in the fridge. Serve very cold and if desired, decorate with some nuts and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.
Tips and tricks:
- Despite not having sugar, figs will provide sweetness, as well as a very concentrated flavor. Therefore, I recommend serving in small portions.
- Find the level of sweetness according to your taste, but I strongly recommend not exceeding the advised quantity of figs.
- An idea to let the puddings rest is to turn on the oven at 50 degrees for about 10 minutes and then turn it off.
- Do not serve the puddings at room temperature, the dessert needs to have been in the fridge for several hours beforehand so that its texture and flavor are enjoyable at their best.
- A trick to achieve greater consistency in the final result is to dissolve a tablespoon of powdered milk before heating the milk.