Cookie #78 - Fig Newtons

I am currently working on creating a recipe to mimic the discontinued Girl Scout Lemon Pastry Cremes.  I've almost got it, but in the mean time, I bring you another favorite of mine:  The Fig Newton. 

I L-O-V-E figs. 

I have such an appreciation for the fruit.  They are like little gems. 

There is a restaurant here in town that has a fig appetizer that is to die for.  It's fresh black mission figs stuffed with goat cheese , lightly broiled, and served with an arugula salad with Parmesan and a lemon vinaigrette. 

It is one of the best things I have ever eaten. 

As much as I love figs, I've never actually cooked with them.  This was a first for me.

So, I headed out to the grocery store and bought 6 of the most beautiful figs. 

They're lucky they made it home from the store.  I could hear them calling to me from the produce bag.  After I made the filling for these, I decided that next year I'm going to try my hand at canning.  This filling is just too darn good to just use for these cookies.  I can only imagine how good it is on an English muffin or even just a plain piece of toasted homemade white bread. 

My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

As for this recipe, I used a combination of several recipes I had come across.  I can't say they tasted just like a Fig Newton, but they were very good.  I had some difficulty getting the same filling to cookie ration as the originals.  I think the filling needs to be chilled just a bit more to help hold it's shape as you from the biscuits.  I will also double the amount of filling I make.  As you can see the cookies don't have that much filling in them.  They really needed more.  They also needed me to stop eating the filling as I went along.

 

Fig Newtons

Dough:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cups butter

3 eggs

Filling:

2 cups chopped figs*

1 orange

1 cup apple juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

4 tbsp sugar

1 additional egg whisked with 1 tsp cool water

First, make the dough so it has time to chill.

Cream butter and sugar together until creamy.  Mix in three eggs and vanilla until well combined.

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.  Add slowly to butter mixture until dough is formed.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make filling.

Zest the orange, set aside.  Juice the orange and add water until it measures 1 cup. 

Combine zest, orange juice and all remaining ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture has thickened - about 15 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Refrigerate until fully cooled. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Divide dough into three parts.  Keep remaining dough refrigerated as you make the cookies. 
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 1/8" thick.  Cut dough lengthwise into 3" strips. 

Spoon filling down the middle of each strip.  Brush edges lightly with egg wash and fold over the dough to seal in the filling.  Place each strip seam side down onto parchment lined baking sheets.  Brush with egg wash.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling. 

Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden brown.  Allow them to cool about 10 minutes on the sheet pans before transferring to a wire rack to fully cool.  Slice into 1 1/2" pieces.

*I used fresh figs.  If you choose to use fresh, make sure they are nice and firm, not soft and squishy.  I've seen recipes that used dried figs when making the filling or even substituted premade fig preserves. 

Enjoy!