We all love figgy pudding

The recipe that I linked to the other day, for Vanilla-Rooibos Fig Newtons set me off a-Googling. It contained mystery ingredients, plus I had always wondered what a Fig Newton was. Turns out it’s just a plain old Fig Roll.

Mystery #2 was the Chia seeds. These come from a Salvia, believe it or not – Salvia hispanica native to Central and Southern Mexico. According to Cooking Light:

Chia Seeds

The chia seed has stolen the limelight lately on the supermarket red carpet, showing up in everything from energy bars to cereals to beverages. Chia comes from a desert plant in Mexico called Salvia hispanica and is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and calcium. These tiny black and white seeds were used long ago by Mayan and Aztec cultures to boost energy. Because they have a mild, nutty flavor, chia seeds are easy to add to a variety of foods and drinks. When mixed with water they create a gel that’s touted to be a weight-loss pudding that helps control hunger, however studies have yet to confirm this benefit.

How to eat: Sprinkle them in with your oatmeal, smoothie, cereal, salad, rice, or baked goods for an added boost of nutrition and flavor.

http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/seed-nutrition-00412000076366/page2.html

Mystery #3 was Coconut Sugar. Nothing to do with Palm sugar or Jaggery, which we always have in stock for Thai and certain curries. Coconut sugar is made from the sap of cut buds of the coconut palm. Supposedly a very low GI and tastes sweeter than brown sugar – plus it has actual nutrient value. According to Wikipedia

When compared to brown sugar, coconut sugar has 36 times the iron, four times the magnesium, and over 10 times the amount of zinc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_sugar

Interesting.

Mystery #4 was where to obtain food-grade Coconut Oil, which I have previously failed to find in Orkney.

A little more Googling found me this place: healthysupplies.co.uk and not only did they have coconut oil but also coconut sugar, chia seeds and big bags of dried figs. Even better, they will deliver up here without the ridiculous surcharges that my  previously-favoured wholefood supplier applies.

It has to be done, doesn’t it?

An order has been placed. I was able to get the hemp oil too, for that lovely sourdough Spelt loaf. I was tempted to go mad and buy all manner of things that I have been missing since I got here, as there is a rising discount according to value of the order,  but I thought perhaps testing the service with a smaller order would be more sensible. After all, we are getting nearly 8 kilos delivered to Orkney for only £4.99 p&p, which is almost unheard of… so sending a supplementary order is not going to break the bank, is it?

I only ordered 100g of Chia but having seen this on Pinterest yesterday, I may well be back for more, and soon.

We have been a bit short of pictures recently (the light has been terrible) so here is yesterday’s loaf, with only a little bit of camera shake to spoil it.

I am looking forward to making the fig rolls. Very much looking forward to eating them too!

There will be figs to spare and I am considering brewing up some fig jam. I was thinking Fig & Pineapple but I’d love to hear suggestions for other combinations. Got any ideas for me? Not rhubarb.

2 Comments

    • January 23, 2013
      Reply

      I’ll make some when the Chia comes and we can see. I saw a nice version with coconut milk…

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