Recently I was gifted with several “just picked” ripe figs. They are an unusual looking contraption, looking as if they were “designed” on a slant! Anyway, I had been given a couple previously and having two figs on my hands presented a problem. What to do with them? You know what came to my mind immediately: Fig Newtons! To begin my quest, I needed to understand the history of the cookie bars. Fig Newtons were one of the first commercially packaged cookies in the United States and came to market originally in 1891. Invented by the Kennedy Biscuit Company located near Newton, MA, they have been continuously made since that beginning. Kennedy Biscuit joined a number of other bakery concerns to later become National Biscuit Company, or as we know it today, Nabisco. Name something else that has been on store shelves since 1891 … time’s up. 
There is no shortage of recipes available for Fig Newtons, but interestingly, most are very similar. That is homage to the perfection of the original. In my recipe, I’m basically no different, except for a short cut and a substitution of ground cinnamon for a cinnamon stick. I used my stand mixer for this recipe. First, the beater to cream the sugar and butter, then the dough hook to bring the dough together. Easy! It is a sticky dough, with ingredients similar to shortbread, but you can certainly make it in a bowl with a large spoon mixing everything together, then give it a quick 3 or 4 kneads on a floured surface and proceed as directed. Those initial two figs didn’t make but six or seven cookies, but they were sooo good. When my friend gave me a bag full of ripe figs, I knew exactly what to do. Time to make a full batch!
While still hot, steam the cookies in a zipper bag.
- 6 - 8 Fresh Ripe Figs (1 Pint)
- 2 Cups Sugar (Turbinado, if you have it)
- ⅛ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Stick of Butter at Room Temperature
- ⅓ Cup Sugar
- 1½ Cup All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Egg
- 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
- Trim the stem area off of each fruit and wash well. Place all of the figs in an 8" sauce pan; add 2 cups of sugar, the cinnamon and water and stir a bit. Bring to a medium simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes stirring occasionally. Don't allow them to cook dry by adding a little water if needed. Drain all liquid away from the figs using a strainer. Remove the figs to a bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork; set aside and allow to cool completely.
- Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth using a beater. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients. Use your dough hook to mix the ingredients until a soft dough comes together and follows the hook around the bowl. It will help in this process to scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top and turn over to evenly coat the dough. Pat and roll out into an 8" x 14" rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Cut the rectangle in half vertically.
- Next, it's time to spread the figs, but first, are they of a good consistency for the task? If too wet (we want a spreadable paste, not drippy), add flour a teaspoon at a time and mix. If too gooey, add a teaspoon of water at a time a stir.
- Spoon ½ of the figs in an even line down the middle of each rectangle. Make sure the dough is not stuck to the work surface by pushing a thin spatula underneath to loosen. Fold the dough over the figs lengthwise and press the two edges together to seal. Cross-cut each log in the middle to create 4 of similar size. Use the spatula to help move each log, one at a time, to a baking sheet; rotate to place the pinched seam down. Bake in your preheated oven on a middle rack for about 25 minutes or until the logs just begin to show minor browning. Remove from oven.
- Allow to cool 5 minutes. Using a knife with a sharp serrated edge, carefully, and with light pressure, "saw" the logs into cookie-sized pieces, about 1 generous inch wide (I used a steak knife).
- Carefully place the still hot cookies into a 1 gallon zipper plastic bag and seal. This step steams the cookies re-moistening the crust so that it will be soft like the original. You will see moisture in the bag ... good! When completely cool, the moisture will dissipate and your Newtons will be ready for prime time!
Thanks to Wikipedia for the picture of a ripe fig on the tree.
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