It's Fruit and Cake

My favorite cookie of all times are Fig Newtons.  Even as a child I was the odd one who would pick the Fig Newtons over Oreos or Chocolate Chip Cookies.  They just can't be beat!

The problem with store bought Fig Newton cookies, as with any processed item, they are chock full of extra sugar and any myriad of unpronounceable ingredients, fillers, and preservatives.

Since I always prefer home baked items to store bought ones, I figured it was time to make my own version of Fig Newtons!  These are certainly not "health" food, nor low fat (see the amount of butter in them!), but they are oh so yummy.

Homemade Fig Cookies (courtesy of Lindsey Antis)

For the dough

18 tablespoons butter (2 sticks and 2 tablespoons)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Pinch of salt
2 cups of flour 

For the filling

2 cups dried figs
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon 

For the egg wash

2 eggs
2 teaspoons of milk

Cooking directions


Prepare the dough first because it will need to chill. To make the dough, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk slowly and mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. I usually find that some butter gets stuck to the bottom of the bowl without being thoroughly incorporated so double check there. Add the salt and flour just to combine.

Prepare the fig filling. Remove the woody stems from the figs and chop coarsely. I cut them into four sections. Then put the sugar, figs, water, and lemon juice into a small saucepan over low heat and let them cook. My figs took somewhere between 15-20 minutes to get tender, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. If your mixture gets dry before the figs are tender just add more water, or if you have extra water when the figs are tender raise the heat slightly and cook until the excess water is gone. Put the figs on a baking sheet and let them cool.

Prepare the egg wash. Whisk the eggs and the milk together.


Assemble the cookie logs. Divide the dough in half and put the unused portion back in the fridge. Roll the dough into a rectangle (about 6 in x 24 in) on a floured surface and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Please note that this dough can be temperamental and the first time I worked with it I had a tough time keeping it from cracking. If this happens to you then warm it up in your hands, reform the dough ball and try rolling it again.

Once your dough is rolled place half of the figs on the dough. Put them closer to one side than the other. Brush the egg wash on the edges of the dough. Use the parchment paper to lift the dough over the figs. Then do the same thing on the other side. The longer side should wrap over the shorter edge. Then flip the log over. Brush the top and sides of your log with egg wash. Repeat the whole assembly process for the second log. Keep both logs on parchment paper when you are done.

Chill logs for 20-30 minutes and then bake for 15-20 min at 350°F or until nicely browned. Let cool and then cut about 1 1/2 in pieces.