Mascarpone Stuffed Fresh Figs and a Fair Trade Giveaway!

October is in full effect here with falling leaves, overcast skies, and chilly weather countered by many cups of hot tea brewed with my electric teakettle. This atmosphere makes me long to bake bread, but alas, I have no kitchen. Temporarily. But seriously - take a look. I'm going through baking withdrawals already. However, there are a few sweet bites to be made and enjoyed without the virtue of an oven, like these Mascarpone Stuffed figs I've made for Fair Trade Month.

Yes! It's Fair Trade Month, which means I've got a box full of Fair Trade goodies to give away to one lucky reader! If you've been reading this blog for very long, then you know each year I love to promote this worthwhile cause (see previous entries here, here, here and here). In a nutshell, buying Fair Trade means Buying Fair Trade means you’re getting quality products and the people who grow, sew and craft them get a fair deal for their hard work. In fact, your everyday purchases can help farmers and factory workers in 70 countries work in safe conditions, earn extra money to invest in their communities and improve the lives of their families.

Coffee, drinking chocolate, chocolate chips, 

chocolate spread... this year's box may be the best yet! 

To enter,  just leave a comment at the bottom of this blog post with what you'd love to make with these Fair Trade goodies.

Each year Fair Trade USA pairs a blogger with a Fair Trade farmer to tell their story. Read below to discover how buying Fair Trade products positively impacts the people who grow our food.

Kyomugisha Joy and her family have been growing tea since 2007. She says that the biggest impact of selling Fair Trade Certified tea is that it has enabled her to send two of her children to school (her other two will attend when they are old enough). In addition, she hopes to use future income to establish tea nurseries that will help expand tea growing opportunities for her community. She is working with a group of women to establish tea nurseries and training programs to teach women the trade so that women in the community can contribute more to the success of the family.

Let's talk about these stuffed fresh figs. First of all, this is a no-cook, no bake recipe that can be assembled in just minutes. I like to serve these as an appetizer because they're just sweet enough to whet your appetite. These are perfect if you are an enthusiastic eater, but not necessarily an enthusiastic cook. Or if you have no kitchen, like me. (Temporarily!)

[click to print]

Mascarpone Stuffed Fresh Figs
Yields 4 servings, 3 figs per person

I make these most often as appetizers, but they're a fresh sweet bite after dinner, too. If you'd like to tip these to the savory side, they are also delicious wrapped in prosciutto (a dry-cured thinly sliced ham).

12 fresh figs
6 ounces mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons Wholesome! Fair Trade honey, plus extra for drizzling
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 teaspoon Frontier Spices ground nutmeg

Cut off the stems of each fig (about 1/2 inch off the top of each). If needed, cut a thin slice off the bottom so they stand up straight. Cut an X into the tops about 3/4 inches deep. Place the figs on a large serving platter. Gently open each fig from the top without breaking it open all the way.

Combine mascarpone, 3 tablespoons honey and vanilla in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with an open star tip; pipe the mascarpone into each fig. You may also spoon the mixture into the figs if you don’t have a piping bag. Sprinkle the toasted walnuts over the figs. Drizzle the figs generously with more honey and sprinkle with pinches of nutmeg.

link Mascarpone Stuffed Fresh Figs and a Fair Trade Giveaway! By Heather Baird Published: Saturday, October 03, 2015 Saturday, October 03, 2015 Mascarpone Stuffed Fresh Figs Recipe