As you can probably tell, my family has a lot of old traditions.  Another favorite are these roasted figs stuffed with walnuts and covered in Sambuca.  Sounds amazing, right?  Well.. they are!

My grandfather used to make these every Christmas time.  It’s a very old recipe that comes from his hometown, Bari.  Bari is a nautical city in Puglia, which is nested in the south of Italy and often known as the “heel” of the boot.  After my grandfather passed, my grandmother was on a mission to keep this tradition alive.  We look forward to eating them every year!

Ingredients: 

• 1 pack dried figs (try to look for the freshest ones you can find)
• Sambuca
• Walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the figs in half and stuff them with about 2 walnuts each to make little sandwiches.  Squeeze them tight and lay them flat on a roasting pan.  Roast them in the oven on 350 degrees for about 5 minutes until golden brown.  Take out of the oven and let cool.

In a plastic bag, place the fig sandwiches at the bottom and cover them with a bit Sambuca and let marinate for about 1 to 2 days.  They will become almost “glazed” with the Sambuca and soften up.  Take them out of the plastic bag and serve on a tray.

That’s it!  I hope you enjoy this old school Italian treat as much as we do!

-Cristina