This is Christine Hanna's recipe:
1 1/2 cups Walnut Halves (6 ounces)
1 cup Semolina Flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 cup sugar
3 large Eggs at room temp
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup dried Black Mission Figs, finely chopped
1/3 cup bittersweet Chocolate chips
1. preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Flour the pan, tapping out the excess.
2. Spread the walnuts on a pan and toast them in the oven for about 9 minutes, until fragrant. Let them cool completely.
3. In a food processor, process the walnuts and semolina flour until finely ground. Add the baking powder and salt and process until incorporated.
4. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the honey and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Add the vanilla extract. At low speed, beat in the semolina flour mixture. Add the chopped figs and chocolate chips and beat at low speed until evenly distributed or just fold them in with a spoon.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper and invert the cake onto a large serving plate. Cut and serve with Ice Cream of your choice.
Hanna suggests cardamom or vanilla I.C. but we served it with Rosewater I.C. and it was just delicious!
rwj
