Gingerbread with Fig-Walnut Sauce | Reader's Digest Canada

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 cup molasses
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1-1/2 tsp aniseed (crushed)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Confectioners' sugar (optional)
• 12 ounces Calimyrna dried figs (cut into eighths)
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tbsp walnut or canola oil
• 1 tbsp aniseed (crushed)
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1-3/4 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt