Recipe: Honey-Roasted Figs with Orange

Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings
go 8-10 very ripe black figs
go 1/2 vanilla bean
go Grated zest and juice of 1 orange, strained
go 1/4 cup honey
go 1 cup raspberries (optional)
go 1 cups fromage blanc, whipped cream, crème fraiche or ice cream (optional)


Preparation:
go Preheat your oven to 375F.
go Butter a small baking dish that will hold all of the figs in one layer.
go Using a paring knife, cut off the small stem at the top of the fig. Cut each fig into quarters without cutting through to the bottom of the fruit, so that the bottom remains intact. Separate the four sections so that the fig looks like a flower. Arrange the figs, bottom-side down in the baking dish.
go Zest the orange over the figs, making sure the zest is evenly distributed. Juice the orange into a small bowl. Use the paring knife to cut the vanilla bean in half, then scrape out the seeds. Place the seeds and pod into the small bowl. Add the honey.
go Using a small whisk, beat together the orange juice and zest, the honey and the vanilla. Pour the mixture over the figs.
go Bake for 10 minutes, then baste the fruit using a spoon. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes until the fruit is soft and oozing juices. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving
go Serve with fromage blanc and fresh raspberries, or crème fraiche, whipped cream, or ice cream.