double chocolate fig brownies

I’ve come to learn that figs are a controversial fruit. A lot of people don’t like them! Or at least they make a look of disgust when they hear the word. Maybe it’s because the fleeting fig season opens the door to the fruit being dried and packaged to be sold year-round and become oft-associated with Harry & David gift baskets or cheese plate add-ons that remain untouched and inevitably thrown away. Or maybe we just have a collective childhood memory of the sickeningly sweet flavor of fig newtons that we often found in our sack lunches (or is that just me?).

Anyway, I have a hard time understanding peoples’ repulsion to figs, because fresh, in-season figs are absolutely delicious. They’re tender and sweet, sort of like a berry, and they ooze seedy juiciness when you bite into them. They’re also really pretty when you cut them into halves or quarters, so I would recommend ditching the dried figs on your cheese board and replacing them with the irresistibly attractive fresh figs.

Okay, I realize we aren’t making a cheese board here, but instead some delicious double chocolate fig brownies. If you’re someone who doesn’t think chocolate and fruit should go together (I see you chocolate-covered strawberry-haters), think again. Figs with chocolate is like the highest tier of decadence. The natural sweetness of figs complements the bitterness of the cacao, resulting in a gooey, mouth-watering dessert fit for a king.

on a mission (fig)

What exactly are figs? Here’s a cute fact: figs are not so much fruits as they are a group of tiny flowers growing inside a shell. Each of the little flowers has a seed and they’re covered by pods with are the fleshy part of the fig “fruit.” The flowers and pods are all wrapped up in an edible shell which is considered the skin of the fig.

Because figs can only grow in hot, dry climates, their season is short, spanning from late summer through autumn, and they’re most commonly found in places like Greece, Turkey, Spain, and even California and Texas.

Figs known as the “Mission Fig” are probably the most common variety found in the US, as it is the cultivar originally planted and now grown in California. It is characterized by a dark purple, almost black, exterior and a light pink flesh.

So, readers, you’ve been tasked with a new mission: go get your figs and make some brownies.

once you have your figs in order...

Pick up these ingredients for your double chocolatey goodness.

Flour, baking powder, and sea salt Essential for any brownie recipe

Unsweetened cocoa powder And I stress “unsweetened” to get that dark chocolate flavor

Sugar and brown sugar A little sugar combo

Eggs and vanilla Some ooey gooey flavor

Bittersweet cacao Again, go with the bittersweet here (the sugars and figs will make these brownies plenty sweet!) Look for chocolate that’s around 70% cacao

⟶ the recipe

double chocolate fig brownies

ingredients

¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

¾ cups sugar

¾ cups brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup chopped bittersweet cacao

6-12 ounces of fresh figs, stemmed and sliced

Prep time

20 minutes

Cook time

40 minutes

Total time

1 hour

8 servings

instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×9 inch brownie dish.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until fully combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed. Add the vanilla, and beat the mixture for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Fold in the chopped cacao.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula. Layer the fig slices, slightly overlapping, over the entire brownie mixture. Bake for about 38 minutes, or until the brownies seem just set. Let the brownies cool completely before slicing into squares.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

⟶ recipe notes

If you don’t have a 9×9 brownie pan, you can use a different dish like a circular cake pan or a cast-iron skillet. Just make sure to grease the pan very well to avoid too much sticking

⟶ make it ahead and store it

The brownies can be stored up to 3 days in an airtight container
I would recommend making the brownies well ahead of serving, as they will usually take 1-2 hours to cool completely