Last fall I was on a mission to make homemade fig newtons, which had always been one of my favorite treats as a kid. There was only one problem – the recipe I wanted to use called for fresh figs and they were pretty much impossible to find. I went crazy looking for them, literally driving to every store within a 20 mile radius on the off chance that it might be the one place to carry them. I felt like I’d won the lottery when I finally came across 2 pints π I made those fig newtons, and they were everything I hoped they’d be, but I was still eager to find a recipe I could bake more than once a year!
Fast forward a few months and Michelle over at Brown Eyed Baker blogged about a recipe that called for dried figs instead. Though I’d never bought them, I’d seen dried figs at Trader Joe’s every time I’d been there, so I knew they were readily available. Plus, the recipe came from an America’s Test Kitchen magazine (which of course this magazine addict already owned), and I’m a big fan of all they do, so I had high hopes.
The process of making these fig newtons was pretty similar to the ones I’d made last year. The figs are cooked down until they have a jam-like consistency, then that filling is encased in a soft, shortbread-like dough. There’s almost nothing easier than making bar cookies, and these came together in no time. The only slightly tricky thing about the recipe is that the dough is pretty sticky, but if you work on greased parchment, it’s very doable. I definitely enjoyed the cookies, they were really quite similar in taste to the fig newtons I’d loved as a kid. The texture of the cookie was almost perfectly replicated, and the filling was pretty darn close too, though I wish it had been just a tad sweeter. It’s an easy fix, next time I’ll add a little bit of sugar when I cook down the figs. And I love that I can say confidently that there will be a next time, and it won’t involve driving all over multiple states to find the figs π
If you’re wondering, I do think I slightly preferred the version made with fresh figs, but this recipe is a VERY good back-up for those other 11 1/2 months of the year when dried figs are the only option!
Fig Newtons
from America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies
Filling
8 oz dried Turkish or Calimyrna figs, stemmed and quartered
2 cups apple juice
pinch salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Crust
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to lift the bars out. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Add the dried figs, apple juice and salt to a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the figs break down and the mixture is soft and syrupy, about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add to the bowl of your food processor along with the lemon juice. Pulse until the mixture has a jamlike consistency.
Whisk both flours, the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until completely incorporated. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Measure out 3/4 cup of the dough and set aside. Transfer the remaining dough to the prepared pan and press into an even layer in the bottom.
Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, roll the dough you set aside into an 8-inch square (it’s easier if you do it between greased sheets of parchment). Place the square in the freezer until firm.
When the crust has finished baking, spread the fig “jam” evenly over it. Place the frozen square of dough on top. Bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack, and let the bars cool completely, at least 2 hours. Use the foil to lift the bars out and cut them into squares for serving.
Ooh! Those are so pretty!! I love fig newtons!
I know, oh so well, what it’s like to get an obsession going over some item. I adore fig newtons and I am going to buy some the very next time I go to the market. Congrats on your persistence.
I think that these Fig Newtons look like my dream Newton. YUM!
Awesome….
visit @my blog for my first event in ur free time π
Preeti
Ongoing Event–Color n Sweet-HOLI FEST
Preeti’s Kitchen Life
These look awesome!
Trader Joe’s always saves the day! Looks delicious.
I like fig newtones, these look incredibly delicious!
wow, these look awesome. when i was a kid, i ate these EVERY DAY for lunch. it was kind of disgusting but i was so obsessed with them. i love that you figured out a way to make them homemade. this is definitely on my “to do” list very soon!! thanks π
This is so creative! What a great recipe and a delicious looking result. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you loved these as much as I did! I am definitely going to give your version a try when fresh figs are in season!
I have not seen dried nor fresh figs anywhere! I really want to make home-made fig newtons, but I don’t do that if I can’t find them. But I will keep searching, and when I do…boy am I going to have a go a this recipe! π
Wow, the pictures are so beautiful. I really admire someone who takes the time to try a recipe over and over again to get it right. π
I love a fig newton and these look amazing.
I also love fig newtons! I can’t find fresh figs where I live either, so this recipe suits me perfectly. Thanks!
Fig Newtons are so delicious. This makes it better because you don’t have to snack on it all at once. Although, that always seems to be the case. haha
ratedkb.blogspot.com
Fig Newtons are so delicious. This makes it better because you don’t have to snack on it all at once. Although, that always seems to be the case. haha
ratedkb.blogspot.com
Fig Newtons are so delicious. This makes it better because you don’t have to snack on it all at once. Although, that always seems to be the case. haha
ratedkb.blogspot.com
I love fig newtons. Your fig newtons look so good.
I love fig newtons and I can’t get them in Spain. I’m sure I will try your recipe very very soon indee π
Wow, I don’t even like Fig Newtons but I would love a taste of these. I love how thick and buttery these look.
So glad to have happened upon this post, Tracey! My husband tells me every now and then how much he loves Fig Newtons and every time he does I think to myself, “You’ve got to make some at home!” But until now, I’ve never seen a good, reliable recipe that uses dried figs. Like you, they are rarely available fresh here (Michigan), and frankly I’m not sure I’d know what to do with them if I got my hands on fresh ones! I am making a note of your post and will look for the dried figs at my nearest Trader Joe’s. Great work, and glad to know that your Newton bars taste so much like the real thing!
How fun to see a close replica of one of my favorite cookies. Fig Newtons are one of those packaged treats that is hard to duplicate – like Oreos, you can buy something similar, but it won’t be the same. I’m intrigued that the texture of these bars is close to the real thing – next time I see some fresh figs, I’ll have to try them.
I wonder if the real difference in the taste of the recipes is the different type of fig. I saw that the recipe using fresh figs uses Black Mission while you apparently used Calimyrnas in the recipe using dried.Figs do have a very short season but dried Black Missions are available. Nuts.com has every type of dried fruit you can imagine–just search figs.I made homemade Newtons a long time ago and they were yummy. Actually my favorite filling for them was prune and walnut.
Now that you say it, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen fresh figs in the store either. Figs are new territory to me. Not sure I’d even know what to do with a fresh one!
I love this recipe. These sound wonderful and as a child I, too, loved fig newtons.This recipe will be moving from your kitchen to mine in the next few days. This is my first visit to your blog, so I took some time to browse through your earlier posts. I’m so glad I did that.I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers and I’ll definitely be back. I hope you have a great weekend. Blessings…Mary
They look awesome. I made another version before that called for dried figs too. I think out of the Modern Baker. They were tasty.
I haven’t had a fig newton in a long time, but of course now I’m craving them! This would be a fun one to try.
These look so much easier to make! Although I have no idea where to find dried figs (blast Trader Joes and them not being in Memphis).
Just made these today and they were really delicious! Only two issues I had was that the crust cracked a lot when I cut them into squares (is this normal?) and my filling was pretty runny. How long did you cool yours for?
@Culinary Couture – I’m glad you liked them! My crust cracked a little bit as I cut it, but not a ton. It’s definitely a fragile cookie. As for the filling, it sounds like you might have undercooked it a bit. I don’t specifically remember how long I cooked mine, but you really want to let it get thick and syrupy before you blend it up. Once you process it, it should have a thick jam consistency.
So, upon having these for breakfast today, I realized that their crust had gotten a lot softer. I think that the more time you give them to cool, the less likely they are to crack when cutting them. Also, I definitely didn’t realize that I may have undercooked them but now that I think about it, I don’t think it had gotten thick and syrupy. Thanks so much for your advice and a wonderful recipe!
I’m not sure I’ve ever used those kind of dried figs – I’ll keep my eye out for them. I loooove anything with figs. Excited to make these!
these are so yummy looking. these look way better than store bought fig newtons!
I have never seen dried figs. Now I have a personal goal to find them because this looks so good. And I never did make those fig newtons. :(( These look so gorgeous. Only you can make brown food look good π
We love FIg Newtons, and these look deliciously wonderful!!
Looks wonderful with perfectly shaped.
Though I am not a huge fig newton fan, these look truly divine!!