There’s no sweeter way to celebrate the end of summer than the arrival of Figs.

Move over All-Pumpkin-Everything and let’s take a minute and applaud Fig Bonanza.

Figs are sweet in taste and mimic the flavor of Honey. The sweetest type of Figs are Black Mission Figs; they are most commonly used in desserts, jams and cheese plates. Brown Turkish Figs are not as sweet and usually paired with savory dishes, salads and recipes that call for other sweeteners.

Brown Turkish Figs are actually my favorite because they are so versatile! Fig and Avocado Toast? Yes please!

Figs have a short life-span so enjoy them when you can! They do not ripen after picking, so make sure to only buy figs that are thoroughly colored, plump and somewhat soft. If they have a sour smell, put them back on the shelf and pick another container.

Fig season is usually from June through October.

Fig and Almond Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

10-12 Ripe Figs (I used Brown Turkish Figs because they are not as sweet as Black Mission Figs)

1 cup Raw Almonds, grinded to a powder (or use 3/4 cup premade Almond Flour)

5 tbsp Butter, melted

2 Eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Ricotta (use Whole Milk for best results)

1 tbsp Honey

1/4 cup Sugar, plus a little for sprinkling top of cake

1/4 cup all-purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Dash of Salt

Powdered Sugar for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In the meantime, grind the almonds in a food processor or blender and then set aside. Butter a pie dish or shallow baking pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, assemble the dry ingredients and mix well: powdered Almonds, Sugar, Flour, Baking Powder, Cinnamon and Salt.

3. Once dry ingredients are well combined, set aside and start on your wet ingredients.

4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the Eggs, Ricotta, Butter, Honey and Vanilla Extract.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until a batter forms, about 2 minutes. Pour batter into buttered pie dish.

6. Slice the Figs into rounds and place directly on top of batter. Cover the entire dish in Figs and then sprinkle with a generous amount of sugar, about 3 tbsp. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

7. Cool for 10 minutes and then sprinkle Powdered Sugar around the entire cake. Serve warm.

I like to serve mine with a cup of Coffee in the morning OR with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream at night. To reheat, simply put in the microwave for 30 seconds. Store leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.