Figs are at their very best right now, having had the benefit of a longer time in the sun. This boozy fig pudding is the ideal supper party pud for this time of year, and guaranteed to impress your guests. It also doesn’t last more than a day, so best served when you have a crowd to feed. Try Philippa Davis’ cinnamon and saffron poached figs with amaretto sabayon.

It certainly isn’t too early for figgy puddings, though best keep the Christmas variety on hold for Stir-Up Sunday. But our peach, fig, plum and croissant pudding transports excellently up the hill, making the perfect final flourish to your shoot lunch.

CINNAMON AND SAFFRON POACHED FIGS WITH AMARETTO SABAYON

Light and mousse-like, this sabayon (the French name for zabaglione) is a boozy treat for when figs are at their best. The fennel and saffron add a wonderful and exotic fragrance to the syrup.

Serves 4

• 100ml dry white wine
• 100g light muscavado sugar
• ¼ tsp fennel seeds
• Small pinch saffron
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 ripe figs
• 4 egg yolks
• 50ml fig syrup
• 50ml amaretto

To serve

• 8 amoretti biscuits
• A few edible petals
• 4 serving glasses

For the figs, place the wine, sugar, fennel seeds, saffron and cinnamon stick into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the figs to the syrup and poach with a lid on for 8 minutes (less if the figs are very ripe). Leave to cool in the liquid.

For the sabayon, in a bain-marie, whisk the yolks, fig syrup and amaretto until it reaches 76°C or is thick and at least doubled in volume (about 10 minutes).

To serve, crush one biscuit into the bottom of each glass then spoon over the sabayon. Place a fig cut in quarters on top then crush another biscuit on top. Decorate with a few petals and some shards of the cinnamon stick.

The sabayon can be eaten warm or cold but won’t last more than a day.