Baked figs with honey, vanilla and cointreau

I'm as partial to fruit desserts as the Boyfriend is to anything containing chocolate. I love petits pots de chocolats, molten chocolate cakes, Julia's chocolate cake - all these make me very happy. But to end a sumptuous meal, nothing makes me happy like fruit, especially when it's warm and served with something cool and indulgent like whipped cream, crème fraîche or maybe some greek yoghurt. Fruit desserts satisfy the longing for something sweet without being too heavy and it's simply amazing how a little sugar or a spoonfull of honey and a squeeze of lemon and a couple of minutes in the oven or the stovetop enhance the fruits' aroma. Figs lend themselves especially well to all kinds of warm desserts.

Baked figs with honey, vanilla and cointreau (serves 2)

• 8 small figs
• 4 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or one vanilla bean
• 1 tablespoon cointreau
• butter for greasing the dish

Preheat the oven to 220°. Butter a small ovenproof dish. Cut a cross into each fig and open them slightly but be careful not to tear them apart. Set them in the dish. Stir together the honey, lemon juice and vanilla paste or scraped vanilla seeds. Drizzle the mixture over the figs and bake them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. When they are done, heat the cointreau in a small saucepan. Pour over the figs and flambé. Serve immediately with a dollop of crème fraîche or whipped cream.