Fig Newtons
Ingredients
DOUGH
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 dash cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
FILLING
  • 1½ cups chopped, stemmed figs {about 10 ounces}
  • ¾ cup dry red wine
  • ¾ teaspoon orange zest
  • ¾ teaspoon anise seed
  • 1 cup water
Instructions
DOUGH
  1. Sift the flours and set aside.
  2. Cream the butter and next 7 ingredients {through zest} together in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add the yolks one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each.
  3. With the mixer on low, add in the sifted flour. Drizzle in the orange juice. Continue mixing just until everything comes together.
  4. Transfer dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten into a disc and refrigerate at least 5 hours or overnight.
FILLING
  1. In a saucepan, combine the figs, wine, sugar, lemon zest, anise seeds and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the figs are softened and the liquid is syrupy and reduced to ½ cup.
  2. Let the figs cool in their syrup, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Cool completely.
  3. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip. {Alternatively, you can place the filling in a plastic sandwich bag, squeezing out all the air. Simply cut off one of the bottom corners to squeeze out the filling.
SHAPING COOKIES
  1. Preheat the oven to 325º and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Dust the rolling surface with plenty of flour to prevent sticking. Roll out the dough, flouring the dough and your surface as necessary, to about 9x12" {it should be about ¼" thick}. Slice the dough in half lengthwise {so that you have two 4½" x 12" strips.
  3. Pipe the filing down the center of each dough strip. It will be approximately 1" wide and ¼" high. You can gently flatten the strip of fig with your hands if you need to.
  4. Fold one side of the dough up and over the fig filling, then fold the other side up and over so that the sides overlap. Carefully transfer strips to prepared cookie sheet, seam side down. Dust off excess flour with a pastry brush. Bake until puffed and slightly browned, about 16 minutes. If they feel moist, continue baking.
  5. Immediately cut bars into 1" cookies. While still warm transfer to a plastic container or large plastic bag. Seal the container or bag, as this will trap in the heat and moisture, allowing the cookies to keep the soft, cake-like texture of traditional Fig Newtons.
Recipe by Raisin & Fig at https://www.raisinandfig.com/fig-newtons/