Fig Bars

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http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/recipes/fig-bars/
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Turkish or Calimyrna figs’ bright flavor and soft texture were the perfect foil for a Fig Bars recipe that could be prepared even during figs’ off-season. Sandwiching the rehydrated figs between two layers of a sweet, buttery crust gave us a homemade, Fig Newton-inspired cookie.
Makes 16 bars

These bars are similar to Fig Newtons, but are a bit less sweet. Be sure to grease the parchment when smoothing the bottom crust and when forming the top crust; otherwise, it will stick and be difficult to work with.

What if I want to use fresh figs? Should I skip the apple juice step and just puree with lemon and some salt?
Christine Liu
August 16, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Hi belmontmedina, thanks for stopping by. Just checked with one of the cooks. For this recipe, we wouldn’t recommend using fresh figs unless they are cooked down to the consistency of dried figs, which would probably take quite a bit longer than the 15 to 20 minutes that the recipe calls for. Even without the apple juice, the texture will be totally different. Hope this helps. Happy baking!

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Ingredients

  • FILLING
  • 8 ounces dried Turkish or Calimyrna figs (see note above), stemmed and quartered
  • 2 cups apple juice
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • CRUST
  • 3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

1. FOR THE FILLING: Simmer the figs, apple juice, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the figs are very soft and the juice is syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; let the mixture cool slightly. Puree the figs in a food processor with the lemon juice until the mixture has a thick jam consistency, about 8 seconds.

2. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil sling and grease the foil. Whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Reserve 3⁄4 cup of the dough for the topping.

4. Sprinkle the remaining mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with a greased spatula. Following photos, top with a piece of greased parchment and smooth into an even layer with the bottom of a measuring cup. Remove the parchment and bake the crust until just beginning to turn golden, about 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, roll the reserved dough for the top crust between 2 sheets of greased parchment paper into an 8-inch square; trim the edges of the dough as needed to measure exactly 8 inches. Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment, transfer it to a baking sheet and place it in the freezer until needed.

6. Spread the fig mixture evenly over the crust. Unwrap the frozen, reserved top crust and lay it over the filling, pressing lightly to adhere. Bake the bars until the top crust is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

7. Let the fig bars cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil, cut into squares, and serve.

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