Baked Stuffed Figs

So my kitchen finally (finally!) is fixed — electricity working, dishwasher running, fridge not plugged into the dining room. I no longer need to wash dishes by hand, or bake with a toaster oven. But, until yesterday, I was forced to work with only appliances that could be plugged in in the living room. Luckily, these gorgeous figs were small enough to bake in a toaster oven — perfect.

Baked stuffed figs are super easy, super convenient and super delicious. As a bonus, you can use basically any soft cheese in them, so they are perfect if you have some extra cheese lying around — I highly recommend strong cheeses, such as Stilton. Of course, it can be tricky to find fresh figs, but the fruit guys on the Manhattan streets occasionally have them, so you should be able to find a few.

To make, slice the top of each fig off, then make 2-3 slits across the top (so that you can fan out the pieces, but the fig is still whole on the bottom half). Stuff with cheese loosely. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F, for about 10-15 min, or until cheese is slightly browned or bubbly (depending on the type of cheese). Be careful if you use different cheeses in different figs — some, like Stilton, melt very quickly, while others, like goat cheese, can take longer.

Drizzle with honey and enjoy. If you are feeling indulgent, or just have some prosciutto laying around, feel free to wrap each fig in prosciutto to make these even better.