Mission Figs Stuffed with Spanish Blue Cheese Sharp Spa nish blue cheeses, such as Cabrales or Picón, contrast wonderfully with the soft, subtle, sweet flesh of fresh, ripe figs. Enjoy the stuffed figs with a glass of Oloroso sherry, another perfect partner for a fig. 

Ingredients 

12 large ripe but firm fresh figs

7½-ounce (215 g) wedge of tangy Spanish blue-veined

mixed milk cheese, such as Cabrales, Picón, or

Valdeón

¼ cup cocoa nibs

Method 

1. Cut the stem end of each fig about ¼ inch (5 mm) from the top using kitchen scissors. Press the tip of a spoon into the opening to make a ½-inch- (1 cm) deep indentation for the cheese in the soft center of the fig.

2. Trim the outer rind off the wedge of cheese. Gently crumble with a fork in a medium bowl until the largest pieces are the size of a small marble. Do not overmix.

3. Press a level teaspoon of cheese into the center of each fig.

4. Press ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cocoa nibs into the cheese. Serve. Adapted from a recipe by Marie Simmons