Montagnoli Baked Figs (Colavolpe)

For three generations, the Colavolpe family in Calabria (southern Italy) has been making delicacies from the Dottato fig variety. These small figs thrive in the hot summer sun of the Mediterranean, and the Colavolpe family is a master at making flavorful and moist confections with them. Besides high quality figs, their other "secret" ingredient to these savory fig delicacies is a special syrup whose recipe is guarded as a priceless treasure. In Calabria, the widely planted Dottato fig variety is considered the best in terms of quality. Dottato figs thrive in the favorable climatic conditions of Calabria, conditions not found anywhere else in the world. Picked at the end of the summer and dried in the sun on mats, the figs are then carefully transformed into baked delicacies by skilled craftsmen using traditional methods. Serve with a cheese course after the meal, or top with thick clotted cream for a dessert.