Favortie Fig Newtons
Submitted by jazz82
Homemade fig newtons: a tender brown sugar and sour cream cookie dough wrapped around real homemade fig jam, baked in logs and sliced into soft bars. So much better than the boxed kind.
YIELD
36 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
25 minREADY
1 hrsThe homemade version of the lunchbox classic, and once you taste these soft, fruit-filled cookies, the boxed kind won’t cut it. The difference is real fig filling and a tender, cakey dough that bends rather than snaps.
The filling is just dried figs simmered until soft with a little sugar, lemon zest, and salt, then pushed through a food mill into a smooth, jammy paste, no preservatives, just concentrated fig flavor.
The dough leans soft thanks to sour cream and brown sugar, which keep it tender and moist. Chilling it firms it up enough to handle.
The signature move is the shaping: you roll the dough into a rectangle, pipe the filling down the center, then fold the pastry over and seal it into a long log, exactly how the factory does it. Bake the logs, cool, then slice into individual bars. Store airtight and they stay soft for days.
Pro Tips
- Chill the soft dough at least 2 hours so it is firm enough to roll and fold without tearing.
- Use moist-pack dried figs for the smoothest, most flavorful filling, and press it through a food mill for a fine paste.
- Seal the folded edge well with a little water so the filling stays put as it bakes.
- Slice the logs only after they have cooled so the bars hold their shape cleanly.
Variations
- Swap the figs for dates, prunes, or apricots in the filling.
- Add orange zest or a pinch of cardamom to the fig jam.
- Brush the logs with milk and sprinkle sugar before baking for a little sparkle.
Ingredients
Directions
In a small bowl, beat the butter and sour cream until light. Gradually add the brown sugar, beating until the mixture is very light and thick.
Incorporate the eggs one at a time; beat in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to the creamed mixture, beating on low speed or by hand.
Mix well and turn out on a sheet of floured plastic; wrap, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Cut the heavy stems off the figs. Combine the figs and water in a heavy saucepan and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the fruit is soft. Add the sugar, lemon rind and salt and simmer, covered for 15 minutes longer. Press the mixture through a coarse disc of a food mill, then cool.
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Cover with parchment or lightly grease a large baking sheet.
Divide the chilled dough into thirds and refrigerate two parts. Roll the remaining piece on a well-floured board to form a rectangle about 5×11 inches.
Spread ⅓ of the fig filling slightly to one side of center, along the length of the dough, covering an area roughly 2 inches wide and 10 inches long and leaving a ½-inch pastry margin on the three sides of the filling away from the center.
Mound the filling slightly in the center along its whole length, then moisten the exposed margin with water. Very gently, lift the uncovered pastry with a spatula and fold it over the filling.
Press the upper pastry against the lower to seal it. Trim the edges and shape the roll into a neat, half-cylinder form about 11 inches long and 2 to 2½ inches wide. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat the filling operation with the remaining 2/3rds of the dough and filling, then bake the three rolls for 25 minutes or until they are slightly browned.
Cool the rolls somewhat on a rack, then trim off the ends and, with a sharp serrated knife, cut each one into slices about 1½ inches wide. Replace the slices on the rack. When the fig bars are completely cool, store them airtight.
Comments