Homemade Fig Newtons

By Alqualonde

The right balance needs to be struck between the filling and crust—not too moist, not too dry—with a clearly defined textural contrast. We think these hit it perfectly. 


Ingredients

• Filling:
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 8 oz dried Mission figs, quartered and tough stems removed
• 2 c freshly squeezed orange juice (approximately 6 oranges)
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1/2 t ground ginger

Details

Adapted from readymade.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Sift the flours, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugars and butter together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the dry ingredients. The dough should be stiff.

3. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour to firm up.

4. While the dough is chilling, stir the figs, juice, sugar, and ginger together in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer until figs are soft and the liquid is reduced to a jam-like consistency, about 30 minutes. (Keep an eye on it, and don’t let it boil or burn.)

5. Transfer the fig filling to a food processor and puree. Let cool to room temperature.

6. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

7. On a well-floured work surface, divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll one of the pieces into an 8x10-inch rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick. Trim the edges with a pastry scraper or cutter and cut into 2-inch-wide strips. Spread half of the strip with 1 to 1½ tbsp filling using your fingers or an offset spatula; fold the uncovered half over to make a long sandwich cookie.

8. Use the pastry scraper to cut the strip into cookies approximately 1½ inches wide. You should average about 4 strips per quarter of dough and 3 filled cookies per strip. Transfer each cookie to the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining three pieces.

9. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Cool on racks before serving. Store in a tightly sealed container in the pantry for up to two weeks.