Author Notes
When people see these little square cookies their faces light up with nostalgia. But what's even better is that after they take a bite, their smiles broaden and they declare these cookies even better than the originals. It's easy to make a big heap of these and keep the smiles going all day long. Note: If you don't have fresh figs, you can substitute a 1/2 pound dry figs, plus 2 cups water (or if you want to make grown-up fig newtons, you could use brandy or Cointreau for some of the liquid). - vrunka —vrunka
Test Kitchen Notes
Vrunka's cookies are a very nice update on the classic fig newton. With just a hint of citrus and spice, the sweet fig compote filling is delicious. Be sure to stir the figs when you start cooking, and add a little water or orange juice to keep the sugar from burning too quickly. You may not need an hour to get a nice thick consistency. Go for whole wheat flour -- its nutty quality works well with the flavorful fig filling. – Stephanie —The Editors
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
- Cookie dough
-
5 tablespoons
butter, melted
-
3/4 cup
packed brown sugar
-
2
eggs
-
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
2-1/2 cups
whole wheat flour
-
1/4 teaspoon
baking soda
-
2 teaspoons
baking powder
- Orange-Cardamom Fig Filling
-
1 pound
fresh figs
-
3/4 cup
brown sugar
-
zest from 1 orange
-
5-8
cardamom pods
Directions
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar, then beat in eggs and vanilla.
-
Mix in flour, baking soda and baking powder.
-
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
-
Note: you can sub some of the whole wheat flour for all-purpose if you want it to taste a little less... healthy.
-
Chop up the figs and combine with all filling ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer until thick, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and remove cardamom pods (remember to count them before you put them in so you know how many you're looking for!).
-
If it's too chunky, whirr the whole thing in a blender or with an immersion blender. Or just mash it with a potato masher. It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth, but you don't want big chunks.
-
Preheat oven to 375.
-
Split dough in half and roll it into a square-ish shape about 12' on each side. Cut it into three strips and transfer the strips to a cookie sheet (that's preferably covered with a silpat or parchment paper or just greased). Put a skinny strip of fig paste down the middle and then fold up the two sides so that meet at the top in the middle and over lap a little. They should stick together just fine, but give them a little squeeze if needed.
-
Slice the strips into 1-inch segments. No need to cut all the way through -- you can break them apart later.
-
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until brown.
-
Cool and repeat the process with the other half of the dough.
-
These cookies are better a day or two later so feel free to make them ahead of time.
See what other Food52ers are saying.