This is my recipe for Ecuadorian dulce de higos, also known as higos pasados, which are fig preserves cooked in spiced syrup of panela/piloncillo or brown cane sugar and spices.
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These caramelized figs are a very typical dessert in Ecuadorian households. This type of sweet fruit preserve is one of those desserts that you could easily be served both in the home of humble farmer – who lives in a house with no electricity – ; or at a fancy dinner of a wealthy businessperson in one of main cities.
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Personally I would choose the figs served in a humble home o from a small local vendor, from my experience those are usually the best. These caramelized figs are usually served with a slice of fresh cheese, queso fresco or quesillo, to help balance the sweetness.
Anyone familiar with traditional South American desserts knows that we prefer to keep them simple, especially since the main meal tends to be very filling. Desserts were not necessarily an expected component at the end of each meal and when we did have dessert it always felt like a special event.
A typical dessert in Ecuador might be a perfectly ripe fruit, such as a slice of papaya with a drizzle of lime juice or a piece of babaco with a little bit of honey, or maybe a refreshing helado de paila, a fluffy bizcochuelo, a crunchy cocada or a sweet fig preserve served with a piece a quesillo or queso.
It is also frequent to eat sweets in larger quantity with afternoon coffee rather than for dessert, after a large meal sometimes you want just a little something sweet that adds that finishing touch and doesn’t leave you feeling like you had too much.
The fig preserves are made through a 3 day process: first they soaked in water for a day, next they are boiled in water, then left to soak another day, then drain and finally boiled in the syrup made with the panela and spices. It is very important to let the figs soak enough, this helps keep them tender.
I’ve tried to take shortcuts before and ended up with very dry and rubbery figs. The spices are optional and the figs taste just as good without them, so it’s just a matter of preference, I personally love adding the spices, but since my husband had this annoying dislike for cinnamon I sometimes make them without any spices.
These figs are very sweet, you can reduce the amount of panela if you would like them to be a little bit less sweet; also because they are so sweet they are much better eaten with cheese or even with bread than alone.
Dulce de higos are usually served with generous slice of fresh cheese called quesillo, you can use fresh mozzarella instead of quesillo, some other good options include queso fresco, farmer’s cheese or curds; you can choose your favorite cheese or also try these fig preserves with a few different types of cheese.
Dulce de higos or fig preserves in syrup
Dulce de higos or fig preserves in spiced syrup are made by cooking ripe figs in a syrup of panela/piloncillo or brown cane sugar and spices.
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Course: Dessert, Sweets
Cuisine: Ecuadorian, Latin American
Keyword: Caramelized figs, Dulce de higos, Figs, Panela, Piloncillo, Preserves
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours hours
Soaking time: 2 days days
Total Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 20 figs
Ingredients
- 20 fresh ripe but firm figs washed
- Pinch of baking soda
- 1 ¾ lb panela or hard brown cane sugar
- Cinnamon sticks cloves and other spices – optional
- Water
To serve:
- Slices of quesillo cheese or queso fresco
Instructions
Make a crosswise cut on the thin side of each fig.
Place the figs in a bowl, cover them with water and let them soak for 24 hours.
Rinse the figs, place them in a saucepan, and cover them with water, about 8 cups.
Add the baking soda and bring the water to a boil over medium heat, cook for about 15-20 minutes or until soft.
Remove from the heat and let the figs soak in the water they cooked in for another 24 hours.
Drain all the water from figs and gently squeeze each fig to remove as much water as possible.
Place the panela or hard brown cane sugar and the spices in a large saucepan, cover with about 6 cups of water and cook on low heat until the panela is completely dissolved.
Add the figs and simmer until the panela syrup begins to thicken, at least a couple of hours, stir occasionally.
Serve either warm or cold with a slice of quesillo, fresh mozzarella, queso fresco, farmer’s cheese or the cheese of your preference.
Step by step preparation photos for Ecuadorian dulce de higos or fig preserves in syrup
