Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: North and South

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (30)

Cook Time:
15 min
Level:
--
Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Times:

Prep: 35 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 15 min
Total:: 50 min

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Ingredients

6 dried figs, halved
1/2 cup simple syrup, recipe follows
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
24 baguette slices
Olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 large apple (Granny Smith or Braeburn), thinly sliced into 24 slices
1/4 pound chunk Pecorino Romano, for shaving 24 pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the figs, simple syrup, and brandy. Bring the mixture up to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Place the fig mixture and the hazelnuts in a food processor and blend, pulsing a few times, until pureed. Set aside.

Place the baguette slices on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon grated Pecorino Romano. Bake until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted and golden, about 7 minutes.

Top each slice of toast with 2 teaspoons of fig jam, a slice of apple and a piece of shaved Pecorino Romano. Transfer the toasts to a serving platter and serve.

Simple syrup:

1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar

In a saucepan combine water and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Take pan off heat and cool the syrup. Any extra cooled syrup can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam
Krista Santa Barbara, CA 11-20-2009
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This is truly the PERFECT appetizer!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I will make this whenever called upon to do so. It's awesome! I used toasted pecans instead of Hazelnuts. I also used... mission figs which are much smaller & thought I'd ruined my recipe, and with no time to spare, served it anyway. You just can't mess this recipe up...even if you do, it still tastes great! Sweet & savory, crunchy & soft, it's all there. LOVE IT! If you use the smaller black mission figs (dried) double the amount called for. She's using the bigger yellowish variety. Whole Foods carries both dried fig varieties in their bulk section (FYI). Also to save me time & energy, I had Whole Foods bakery slice the baguettes for me. Perfect slices in seconds with no effort!Read more
recipe Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam
Janet San Diego, CA 11-12-2009
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Gone in a heartbeat
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I decided to try this for a small party I was having and they ate these up so fast! Unfortunately I couldn't find dried figs... so I used the bagged kind in the candy isle. The only bad thing was that it was too runny but I strained the jam and it still tasted yummy. I couldn't find hazelnuts either so I used walnuts as others suggested and I think it was still yummy. Read more
recipe Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam
Peggy Chicago, IL 08-17-2009
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This is winner-you won't regret making this!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Hi, I made this for my wine club party. Everyone raved about it and demanded the recipe. Seriously, this will not... disappoint. Just for the record, I never had a bad recipe by Giada. Keep up the great recipes Giada. You are making me look great!Read more
recipe Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam
Aimee West Chester, PA 08-09-2009
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Crowd pleaser
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this last night and everyone loved it! I followed the recipe exactly. I was worried about making the fig jam, but it... was delicious. I will definitely make this again. So many people commented on the different layers of flavor and they were gone almost as soon as I put them out. I'll make more next time.Read more
recipe Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam
Mary Gardnerville, NV 07-17-2009
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Great Appetizer
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I took this to a party and it disappeared! The fig jam with the hazelnuts is delicious. The dried figs I bought seemed... small so I used quite a few extra. I am making this again for another party since it was such a hit. It was great at room temperature which makes it easy to travel with.Read more
recipe Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam
Cindi Nashville, TN 04-19-2009
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a hit!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I took this appetizer to an Italian Dinner Party and everyone loved them. I loved the fig jam with the cheese and apples,... fabulous.Read more