Homemade Fig Newtons
Why I Love This Recipe
This was a special extra treat that we learned in pastry class this past weekend at the French Culinary Institute, NYC:
Ingredients You'll Need
The Dough
250 grams butter
150 grams granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Pinch of salt
440 grams all-purpose flour
The Filling
450 grams dried figs
100 grams granulated sugar
200 milliliters water
Juice of 1 lemon
Directions
Prepare the dough: Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and egg yolk slowly and mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl often.
Add the salt and flour and mix just to combine.
Wrap the dough and chill it in the refrigerator.
Prepare the filling: Remove the woody stems from the figs and coarsely chop the figs.
Put the figs, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan, place over low heat, and cook until the figs are tender. Keep an eye on them and add more water if needed, so they don't burn. (You are making a compote that will be blended/processed, so everything should become very soft.) You can add some Grand Marnier to this mixture as it cooks. Set aside to cool.
Assemble the cookie logs: Divide the chilled dough in half.
Roll each half into a rectangle roughly 6 inches x 24 inches and place the rectangles on a piece of parchment paper.
Brush the edges of egg wash.
Place half of the filling along the center of each piece of dough.
Fold the edges up to cover the filling.
Lift the parchment paper and roll each log over so that the seam is on the bottom.
Brush the top of each log with egg wash (1 egg, 1 egg yolk, pinch of salt). Chill the logs for 20-30 minutes before baking.
Bake the logs at 350 degrees F for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Remove the logs from the oven and let it cool a little; while still warm, slice the log into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
Special Instructions
Watch the figs closely while cooking to make sure they don't burn. They may require additional water if the liquid evaporates before the figs are tender.
Fresh figs may be substituted for dried, but the amount must be increased.
Allow the dough to warm slightly at room temperature to make rolling easier.
The dough must be chilled before baking, or it will melt and expose the filling.
The unbaked log can be refrigerated for up to a week.
Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for several days or frozen.
Evaluating the Finished Product
The figs should be thoroughly cooked and tender.
The cookies should be equal in size and have a rich brown color.
