Figs Stuffed with Creamy Blue Cheese and Toasted Hazelnuts

Most fig trees will produce two crops, one in late spring, and another in fall.

This is one of my favorite ways of serving them, at either time of year. Served as an appetizer or dessert, the blue cheese compliments the sweetness of the figs very nicely. A drizzle of honey adds another flavor layer if serving them as a dessert course. You can use most any kind of fig, Black Mission, Brown Turkey, a green variety or any available ripe fig.

These are very nice with Champagne, Port, Riesling, or a Late Harvest Riesling.

Fresh Figs Stuffed with Creamy Blue Cheese

and Toasted Hazelnuts

Figs, any fresh fig variety will do (as many as you wish to serve)

Blue Cheese of your choice, softened to room temperature. (I like to use our excellent local blue)

Soft (unripened) goat cheese, or good quality cream cheese, room temperature

A little cream, or milk to thin the cheese mixture

Hazelnuts, toasted. One for each fig, plus extra for garnish

Honey (optional) as a drizzle over the stuffed figs

I'll leave the proportions of Blue cheese to cream cheese/goat cheese up to you. If you like a more pronounced Blue flavor, use less cream cheese/goat cheese, reverse that if you want a milder Blue flavor.

Choose ripe, unblemished figs of uniform size. Gently wash, rinse and allow to dry.

In the meantime, crumble the blue cheese into a bowl add the cream cheese or goat cheese, blend on low speed using an electric mixer, adding a little milk or cream to thin the mixture to a consistency which can be piped with a pastry bag. Once the ingredients have been blended, increase speed and whip until creamy, adding more milk or cream if necessary.

Cut each fig from the stem top into quarters, vertically to the blossom end, not all the way through, to make a cavity to fill with the cheese.

Next, either pipe (using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip), or spoon the filling into the cavity in each fig. Top each with a toasted hazelnut.

Optional: Drizzle with honey. Serve additional toasted hazelnuts on the side.