Fig Leaf Cordial

A few Sundays ago, I spied fig leaves at the farmer’s market for five dollars. I’m not the type of person who usually buys ingredients that I have no idea what to do with, but on this particular occasion, I figured: why not?

When I got home, I remembered that David Lebovitz has a recipe for Fig Leaf Ice Cream, but alas I didn’t have milk or cream and didn’t feel like heading back out. His description of the flavor did sound alluring: “[it’s] coconutty, and references figs, but is its own flavor in and of itself.”

Using Eat Your Books, one of my favorite online resources (you can search your own cookbook collection), I learned there was a recipe for a Fig Leaf Cordial in the Towpath cookbook. I looked it up and it seemed so easy, I couldn’t not make it.

Basically, you add fig leaves to water, add sugar, lemon peel, and lemon juice and reduce it by half. That’s it! Then you funnel the liquid into a bottle…

And you’ve got a fig leaf cordial to pour over ice with either sparkling water for non-drinkers or Prosecco for yes-drinkers. It’s bright and refreshing and citrusy and definitely redolent of coconuts. Plus it sounds really fancy when you serve it to your guests.