Homemade Fig Newtons

These chewy, fruity snack cookies have been popular with children and adults alike since 1891. Today I’ll show you how I make my version of Homemade Fig Newtons using a simple filling and shaping technique.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE FIG NEWTONS FROM SCRATCH

Fig Newtons are super easy to make at home.

• All You Need Is :
• Tender cookie dough
• Sweet fig paste filling

HOW TO MAKE FIG PASTE FILLING

• Dried Figs
• Brown Sugar
• Lemon or Orange Zest
• Juice of One Lemon/Orange
• Grand Marnier or other Orange Liqueur (optional, if not using alcohol use water or orange juice instead)
• Water

CAN I USE FRESH FIGS?

Yes, you can use fresh figs. Wash fresh, ripe figs, remove stems. Quarter them and cook them until soft and till mixture is thick. Process in the food processor. If paste appear to runny, return it to the stove and simmer till it thickens, stirring frequently.

Slice or quarter dried figs into a pot. Pour in freshly squeezed lemon/orange juice, lemon/orange zest, brown sugar, water and orange liqueur (if using). Bring to simmer and cook covered for 20-30 minutes, until very soft. Remove from the heat.

Allow to cool slightly and process in the food chopper until smooth. If the paste appears runny return it to the stove and cook until it is paste consistency. It also thickens slightly as it cools.

TIP : Fig paste can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.

Spoon room temperature fig paste into a piping bag.

TIP : Let chilled fig paste come to room temperature. It’s easier to spread or pipe room temperature paste than chilled paste onto the cookie dough.

COOKIE DOUGH

• Unsalted Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Granulated Sugar
• Egg yolks
• Vanilla Extract
• All purpose flour
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Cardamom/Cinnamon(optional)
• Orange Zest – recommended (optional)

Sift flour, baking soda, salt and cardamom/cinnamon (if using) into a large bowl.

Cream room temperature unsalted butter until smooth about 30 second to a minute. Then beat in granulated and brown sugar and cream for 3 minutes until well blended and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla extract and orange zest (if using).

Then gradually, in 3 additions, and on low speed beat in flour mixture. Beat until flour is thoroughly moistened and cookie dough starts to come together. Knead with hands for 20 second till it comes to a ball. Flatten cookie dough into a disk.

Wrap the cookie dough well into food wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

FILL AND SHAPE HOMEMADE FIG NEWTONS COOKIES

To fill cookies with fig paste I utilized a simple filling and folding technique.

First, divide cookie dough into 5-6 portions. Shape each piece into a log, (steps 1-3).

Roll out, one portion at a time, between 2 pieces of food wrap. Roll the cookie dough to about 1/12 inch (2mm) thick, into a rectangle at least 4 inches wide and 8-10 inches long, (steps 4-8).

Carefully peel off top layer of food wrap. Take a ruler, measure and trim 4 inch wide and about 8-10 inches long rectangle, (steps 1-8).

Take a piping bag filled with a homemade fig paste and pipe a snake lengthwise, in the middle of the rectangle, (steps 1-3).

Now lift up food wrap and fold top part over the fig filling, (steps 1-4). Gently press cookie dough onto the filling to flatten it, (steps 5-8).

Now you can repeat with the bottom section. Lift up food wrap and fold the cookie dough over the 1st fold, (steps 1-2). Gently press cookie dough down to flatten the roll and to seal the cookie, (steps 3-8).

To release cookie log from underneath the food wrap gently lift up food wrap and peel it off. You can either transfer a whole log onto a baking sheet or you can slice log into smaller pieces and transfer small pieces onto a baking sheet and bake them off.

I personally prefer slicing unbaked filled cookie logs into about 1.5inch (4cm) cm) to 2 inch (5cm) long pieces, (steps 1-3).

Slice fig rolls and transfer unbaked fig cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

BAKE FIG NEWTONS COOKIES

Bake cookies at 350F (180C) for about 10-13 minutes, until lightly golden brown around the edges.

TIP : If you make thicker cookies bake them for a little longer, 1-3 minutes longer.

HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE FIG NEWTONS?

Transfer baked cookies onto a cooling rack and allow to cool, (steps 1-3).

Once cookies are baked and cooled they are crispy. To achieve their characteristic soft, chewy texture allow them to rest before serving. Fig Newtons taste best when left to “mature”. Store baked cookies in an airtight container between sheet of parchment. Let them rest overnight. Cookies will soften as they rest.

Fig Newtons cookies keep for up to a week at room temperature and for up to a month when stored in the fridge.

CAN I USE FRESH FIGS TO MAKE FIG PASTE FILLING?

Yes, you can use fresh figs. Wash fresh, ripe figs, remove stems. Quarter them and cook them until soft and falling apart. Fig mixture should be thick. Process in the food processor. If paste looks too runny return it to the pot and simmer until paste thickens. Depending on how sweet your fresh figs are add more or less sugar or honey.

HOW ABOUT DIFFERENT FILLINGS, WHAT CAN I USE?

If you are not a fig fan you can use other fillings, or combination of fillings made from dried fruits or nuts :

• Apricots
• Raisins
• Plums
• Ground Walnuts – add ground nuts to fruit filling

I DON’T WANT TO USE ALCOHOL CAN I USE SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?

You can use orange juice or water in place of alcohol in the fig paste recipe.

TO MAKE HOMEMADE FIG NEWTONS YOU NEED

• TOOLS
• Find all tools in my Amazon Shop
• Baking Sheet
• Mixer, either hand held or stand mixer
• Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat
• Piping Bag
• Food Wrap
• Knife

MORE DELICIOUS FRUIT DESSERTS

• Flamingo Raspberry Meringue Tarts
• Unicorn Apple Pie Pop Tarts
• Easy Fig Cake
• Raspberry Cheesecake with Pretzel Almond Crust
• Peach Cheesecake Tart

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