Homemade Fig Newtons
 
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 lb fresh figs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
Instructions
  1. First, prepare the fig filling. Slice the stems off of each fig and cut them into quarters (or small pieces). Add to a pot with sugar, water, honey, and cinnamon over medium heat. Simmer for 40 min, stirring occasionally until fig mixture cooks down to a dark hued color with a paste consistency. I turned my heat down to medium-low after 20 minutes to avoid burning my mixture; at that point it had darkened and thickened quite a bit. Just make sure to keep an eye on it as it cooks!
  2. When the mixture is finished cooking, use an immersion blender or food processor to pulse until consistency is smooth throughout. Allow mixture to cool fully. If the filling is still a bit too runny to spread, stir in a tablespoon of flour at a time until it reaches the consistency you desire. Refrigerate until you are ready to make the cookies.
  3. For the cookies, combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix together and set aside.
  4. Meanwhile, cream the butter and brown sugar with a blender. Then, add the egg, vanilla, and orange juice. When those ingredients are incorporated, begin adding the bowl of dry ingredients until a cookie dough forms.
  5. Remove dough from the bowl and place it on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Press dough into a flat disc shape, then cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours+).
  6. When the dough has been fully chilled, preheat the oven to 325° F, then remove the dough from the refrigerator. Slice the dough into four equal pieces. Place one piece onto a heavily floured sheet of parchment paper and the three remaining pieces should be returned to the refrigerator. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ¼" thick, 4 inches wide, and 12 inches long, making sure the dough is floured liberally and can be released from the parchment. It will become sticky very quickly, so you have to work somewhat fast!
  7. Spoon the fig filling into a zippered sandwich bag. Snip the tip off of one corner, then pipe ¼ of the filling down the center of the dough strip. Fold up the sides of the dough to close over the top of the filling, and press the ends together to close them up. Carefully roll the log of dough to be seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet, then place the sheet in the refrigerator.
  8. Repeat the rolling and filling process with the remaining three pieces of dough, then bake the filled dough for 30 minutes, until the dough turns golden brown and is not tacky to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 3-5 minutes.
  9. Before the cookies cool fully, slice the cookie dough logs into rectangular slices, then place the cookies into a gallon sized zippered bag and close it. This allows the cookies to steam and attain the soft baked texture.
  10. Enjoy!
Recipe by Helpful Homemade at https://helpfulhomemade.com/homemade-fig-newtons/