Fig Wheat Berry Pudding

This recipe was inspired from Turkish friend, Binnur who shared "Turkish fig ice cream". Not anything like what you think about when you hear ice cream. It is more a loose pudding, so simple by design, but huge on taste! I took it a step further to make this dish. Adding Mill Hollow maple syrup doesn't make this dish sweeter, but the syrup actually highlights the wheat berries.

1 1/4 c cook wheat berries (cook 1/2 c raw) *
6 dried Turkish figs
1 1/2 c milk (I used raw milk)
2 eggs (JFF, Wintergrass, Sweetgrass, Mountain View or The Farm) room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c Mill Hollow Maple Syrup

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a 2 qt dish, that can fit inside a large roasting pan.

Bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool to about 130 degrees F. Soak figs in hot water for about 5 minutes. Remove and drain. Remove stems and finely chop figs.

When milk is at temperature, place in a blender along with the figs. Blend well. Bring a teapot of water to a boil.

Pour milk mixture into a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, syrup, vanilla and salt. Whisk this into the milk/fig mixture. Stir in wheat berries. Pour into prepared dish.

Place a kitchen towel in bottom of roasting pan. Place the prepared pudding dish on top of towel. Place on rack in oven. Now carefully pour hot water into roasting pan to about halfway up the dish. Carefully push rack into oven, try not to splash water. Bake 300 degrees F for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours. After the first 30 minutes, gently stir the wheat berries. Cook until the center is just set.

Can serve warm or chilled. (I served pudding chilled topped with slightly warmed Mill Hollow syrup)

* to cook berries: Rinse berries under cold water. Place in a pot and cover with cold water by at least 2". Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer,  covered for 45-60 or until tender to the bite.