Corn Fruit Cake (Umbria)

Desserts

Ingredients

Dried Figs - 1/4 pound

Seedless white raisins - 1 cup

Salt

Fine cornmeal - 1pound

Olive oil - 7 1/2 tbsps

Walnut halves, finely chopped - 24

Butter

Fine dry breadcrumbs

Oil

Soak the figs and white raisins in warm water overnight. Drain, reserving the liquid. Cut the figs into small pieces.

Measure the soaking liquid and add enough fresh water to make it up to 8 3/4 cups. Pour it into a large pan, add a little salt and bring to a boil. Add the cornmeal gradually, stirring constantly, then cook, stirring frequently, for 40 minutes. Make sure that the mixture is thick and free of lumps.

Take the pan from the heat, beat the "polenta", then add the figs, raisins, 1/4 cup olive oil and the walnuts.

Grease 2 layer cake pans about 10 inches in diameter with butter and sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs. Pour the mixture into the pans. Brush each cake with little oil, cover with wax paper and bake in a slow oven (325F) for about 30 minutes.