Nammy’s Fig Squares

By Addie

Figs are a special treat that summer brings us every year. Fortunately, I’m blessed with the most beautiful and plentiful fig tree in my backyard. I’m even more blessed to have a neighbor that makes me fig preserves from my fig tree! While the figs on my tree haven’t ripen enough for harvesting, I still have the wonderful taste of last summers fig preserves in my cupboard.

Having fresh figs in my family was like winning the lottery; unfortunately we couldn’t find them that often. In luea of fresh figs, my grandmother always had a jar of fig preserves around the house and it served one purpose - fig squares. Everytime someone visited my Nammy’s house, she would always have an array of goodies on hand if you were hungry. Even if you weren’t hungry, you still managed to eat something she had baked.

Nammy was famous for her squares. She perfected a sweet dough in which she would either put raspberry, lemon or fig preserves in the center of. Everyone’s favorite was the fig! Nammy’s fig squares were the sublime mixture of sweet and tangy and I’m so excited to be able to share this special recipe with you.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, partially softened
• 1 cup sugar, beaten
• 1 egg
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 18oz jar fig preserves
• 1 tbsp sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large bowl or in a food processor, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Gradually add in the beaten egg until mixed in. Next, pulse or cut the butter in using a pastry blender. The dough should be crumbly. If the dough won’t stay together when pressed, add in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dough stays together. Do not over work the dough.

Divide dough in half and press the first half into the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread fig preserves over the dough. Lightly pat the other half of the dough on top of the fig preserves. Sprinkle the top of the dough with sugar.

Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the dough is light brown. Cool completely on a rack and place in the refrigerator to chill. It’s easier to cut and serve these fig squares when they’re cold.