Fig Slab Cookies
I grew up with a strong resentment of fig Newtons -and in fact figs in general- they represented all that we were so cruelly denied as kids of a doctor who seemingly valued fiber above all else. You see, the packaged cookies we got were either fig Newtons or Arrowroot cookies – yes, the flavourless oval ones with the baby on the front that dissolved on contact with saliva. I reluctantly ate them anyway, since it was either those or nothing, dreaming of Oreos. Sometimes we got Dad’s Oatmeal cookies – more often than not the ones without the chocolate chips.
I have since made my peace with figs, although whenever I try to take another stab at fig Newtons they sit in my cupboard and harden. Of course, if you consider what homemade chocolate chip cookies are to store-bought, you can imagine how much better these are than the fig Newtons of my youth. I think they were originally from 101 Cookbooks, and if memory serves, she made the filling using red wine. They made a perfectly suitable snack to tote along to Jasper – displacing chips (almost) and other car snacks. Despite the plethora of edibles here this weekend, it’s always a good thing to have something snacky stashed in the hotel room, especially when you’re sharing it with a 4 year old.
Fig Slab Cookies
Fig Filling:
1/2 lb. (one 250g package) dried figs or apricots
1 cup orange juiceFinely chop the figs (removing the tough stems) and put them into a small saucepan with the orange juice. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until it turns into a soft sort of jam. The texture will depend on the dryness of the figs – add more juice or water if need be. If the mixture seems too chunky, puree it in the food processor once it has softened. (It’s tough to chop dried figs in the food processor alone – they tend to be too thick and sticky.)
Dough:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. molasses
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour, or quinoa or oat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. saltIn a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until well blended and the mixture has the texture of wet sand. Beat in the egg, molasses, ginger (if using) and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula just until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the dough in half and roll one piece out into a rectangle about the size of your cookie sheet – this is easy to do on a piece of parchment or a Silpat baking mat, which can then be slid right onto the baking sheet. Spread the dough with the fig filling. Roll the second piece of dough out to the same size on a piece of waxed paper; lay it over the fig filling, and press it gently to seal the two together a bit. I usually roll the whole thing gently with a rolling pin, being careful that the filling doesn’t spill out the sides.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until pale golden and set. Cool for about 10 minutes, then trim the edges and cut the slab into squares or rectangles with a knife, pizza wheel or pastry cutter.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies, with plenty of edge scraps that are very tasty too.
One Year Ago: Pasta e Fagioli (Fazool)
November 05 2009 10:00 pm | cookies & squares
mamasutra on 05 Nov 2009 at 10:42 pm #
I know that I need more sleep because I am giggling to myself about “the baby on the front that dissolved on contact with saliva”!! Oy!
Also, made your cranberry-orange loaf on Monday and shared it with my kiddo’s kindergarten teachers. They raved! As did my kids, my husband, etc. Thanks!!
Avery on 05 Nov 2009 at 10:55 pm #
Ha! We have a box of those arrowroot cookies in our kitchen (for the baby, of course… although Mike eats his fair share).
daisychain on 06 Nov 2009 at 7:22 am #
I have had the hugest craving for fig cookies lately, I’m drooling over these, and hoping to make them soon.
Lauren on 06 Nov 2009 at 7:34 am #
Honestly, I never liked fig newtons – They were always the cookies my dad loved! However, now that I can’t have them, I’d like to try them again. Maybe converting this recipe will be that key!
heather on 06 Nov 2009 at 7:55 am #
I was the complete opposite — as a little girl I’d eat an entire row of Fig Newtons in one day! Can’t pass them up to this day, but definitely need to try making my own. Looks lovely!
Cheers,
*Heather*
BethieofVA on 06 Nov 2009 at 8:25 am #
I would love one of these right now. I linked over from Twitter #FF. Nice blog.
Erica B. on 06 Nov 2009 at 9:01 am #
Ah I remember Dad’s Oatmeal Cookies. Those and the gingersnaps in the 100count bags were pretty much all my parents allowed in the house. The only fun with Dad’s was dunking them in a glass of milk and seeing if you could leave it in there long enough to get mushy but still stay intact enough that it didn’t fall to the bottom.
Mama JJ on 06 Nov 2009 at 11:28 am #
I make a similar recipe, but with blueberries (or rhubarb or cherries or black raspberries). We eat them for breakfast, with coffee, as dessert, etc. The kids adore them. Now I want to try it with the figs…
ilovealbertabeets on 06 Nov 2009 at 2:22 pm #
Julie you crack me up with your descriptions. I can also remember ‘a strong resentment’ of Fig Newtons. What a poor excuse for a cookie. They were up there with getting a toothbrush when trick or treating. I haven’t made peace yet, there is a bag of figs fossilizing in the cupboard. Why do we buy things we think we should like, forgetting that we don’t actually like them?
I’m going to start with MamaJJ’s suggestion and go with rhubarb..
Barb on 06 Nov 2009 at 4:25 pm #
I was never fond of fig newtons either! I like them now, however, in all the flavors. I will like them even better home made I’m sure. I was cleaning the cupboard the other days and found two part blocks of figs. Fig Newtons they will be.
Terri on 06 Nov 2009 at 5:19 pm #
You all crack me up! Keep up the good work!
Amanda on 06 Nov 2009 at 7:32 pm #
I remember my dad loving fig newtons. I didn’t like them until i got older. Love this version, I bet they are fabulous!
Heather on 06 Nov 2009 at 11:40 pm #
My husband also has a strong resentment of Fig Newtons, mostly because his last name is Newton and the other kids used to call him Fig!
Vivian on 07 Nov 2009 at 10:06 am #
There’s more than one flavour of Fig Newtons now?! I’ll have to check that out but I’m really looking forward to your home-made version. I always liked the little crunchy seeds in Fig Newtons. Maybe a kiwi jam would give the same effect. I have a bag of kiwis AND a round of dried figs so maybe I’ll try two kinds of this slab cookie. Thanks, Julie!
Dana McCauley on 08 Nov 2009 at 2:16 pm #
Picture me making these – if you can’t, just drop by very soon because they will be coming out of my oven.
Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free on 08 Nov 2009 at 8:37 pm #
I love Fig Newtons…especially with vanilla ice cream. I made fig puree when Dallas was brimming with figs and used apple juice to keep it neutral flavored, but I think the orange juice would add a great component. My husband would love these, and I really appreciate the mention of quinoa flour here. It would be a good compliment to figs.