Fig Newtons

This recipe is not your typical 3rd grade lunch fig newton, I promise! They are a people pleaser in all the right ways!

Ingredients

Filling:

• 14 large fresh figs or 22 small figs, halved and quartered
• 1/2 cup tightly packed brown sugar
• a pinch of salt
• zest of half a large lemon or whole small lemon
• 3 tsp vanilla extract

Dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened
• zest of 2 clementines
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp + 1 pinch cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Heat all ingredients over medium low heat in saucepan, stirring occasionally until boiling
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40-45 minutes until sauce thickens
• Throughout heating time, gently smash figs with a fork or potato smasher
• When sauce is finished, place in refrigerator until completely cooled
• Preheat the oven to 350*
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy
• Beat in clementine zest, eggs, and vanilla
• Slowly add in flour mixture until combined
• Split the dough in half
• In between two piece of greased parchment paper or aluminum foil, using a rolling pin, roll out dough to about 1/4 of an inch thick and a 9×13 sized rectangle, place in freezer (this will be your top crust. I recommend greasing with any baking spray)
• Place parchment paper in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish
• Spread remaining dough in the bottom of the dish to reach the edges (the dough will be sticky. To spread, spray hands with vegetable or coconut oil and pat the dough down)
• Bake the bottom crust in the oven for 22-25 minutes until golden brown (mine took 25)
• Remove dish from oven and spread with fig filling
• Remove the top crust from the freezer and gently remove the parchment paper off sides of the crust
• Place the top crust on the fig filling (it may break and that’s ok! just pat back together, it will mold together while baking)
• Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until gold brown
• Cool completely – follow this step – and cut into squares