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Don’t cook ripe figs. Eat them fresh with this easy almond pancake

Fresh, honeyed figs pair wonderfully with a puffed, custardy almond pancake.
(Leslie Grow / For The Times)
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Ripe figs give me the same deep joy I get when holding a newborn. They feel so soft and fuzzy and have a delicate, sweet scent that smells like nothing else in the world. A few long inhales and everything is suddenly better.

That’s the effect of this simple brunch too. The jammy sweetness of tender figs is accentuated with a drizzle of honey and bit of salt. Cooking figs dampens their complex taste, so I keep them raw in this simple topping. pick figs that give a little when you squeeze them gently and use them within a day. Mold speckles appear pretty quickly on the ripe fruit.

To balance the figs’ inherent sugariness, I set them over a Dutch baby made with almond flour. Figs and almonds pair well on a cheese platter, and they get along just fine here too. Traditionally, a Dutch baby is a floury baked pancake that soufflés and puffs up in the oven. Swapping in almond flour gives it a richer taste and nearly custardy center under the crackly top. Powdered sugar helps the pancake puff up and caramelize around the edges. The resulting pancake is gluten-free and, more important, delicious.

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A blender helps the batter come together quickly and eliminates any possible lumps, but you can prepare it by hand too. Whisk the eggs and milk until frothy, then whisk in the dry ingredients a little at a time until smooth. Either way, you’ll get the mix in the oven in minutes and end up with an impressive dish.

Almond Dutch Baby with Honeyed Figs

30 minutes. Serves 2 to 4.

2 large eggs
⅓ cup whole milk
¼ cup superfine almond flour
¼ cup packed powdered sugar, plus more
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
8 fresh figs, halved or quartered if large

1 Heat the oven to 400 degrees with an 8-inch well seasoned or enameled cast iron pan on the center rack.

2 Combine the eggs and milk in a blender and purée on medium speed until frothy. Add the almond flour, powdered sugar and salt, and purée on high speed until very smooth.

3 Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and add the butter. Swirl to melt and evenly coat the bottom and sides, then immediately pour in the batter and return to the oven. Bake until puffed and dark golden brown, about 25 minutes. While the Dutch baby bakes, mix the honey with 1 teaspoon water until smooth. Add the figs and a tiny pinch of salt. Gently fold until evenly coated.

4 As soon as the Dutch baby comes out of the oven, spoon the figs with their honey syrup on top and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

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