Fig Squares Recipes

FIG BARS I

Steps:

• Soak figs in the water for 1 hour. In a small saucepan, combine the fig mixture with the sugar, and cook over medium heat until thick and stewy. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the milk and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Divide the dough into two pieces and knead each piece about 5 or 6 times. On a well floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Line the prepared pan with one piece of the dough. Spread the fig mixture over it, then cover with the other piece of dough.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

HOMEMADE FIG BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the figs in a small heatproof bowl, cover with hot water and soak for 10 minutes. Remove the figs from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a food processor. Add the honey and 1 tablespoon of the soaking liquid. Puree until smooth and spreadable. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and mix until a dough forms.
• Place the dough between two pieces of parchment, then roll into two 12-by-4-inch rectangles.
• Spread the fig filling on one half of each rectangle, spreading up the 12-inch side and leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch border.
• Fold the dough over on top of itself and gently press the dough together at the edges. Cut each log into 10 cookies and transfer to baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

FIG BARS II

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cloves, cinnamon and allspice; blend into the egg mixture along with the vanilla. Finally fold in the chopped figs and walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly toasted. When cool, cut into squares and roll the squares in confectioners' sugar.

FIG "NEWT" BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, place cookie mix. Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through mix in opposite directions), until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool.
• Meanwhile, place figs and warm water in food processor. Cover; process until smooth paste forms. Add syrup and lemon peel; process until well blended. Spread fig mixture evenly over partially baked crust.
• In small bowl, mix reserved 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture and the walnuts. Sprinkle over fig mixture.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 30 minutes. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

SCRUMPTIOUS FIG SQUARES

Steps:

• For filling: Finely chop figs in processor (do not puree).
• Combine with juice, sugar and peel in small saucepan.
• Simmer until thickened to consistency of jam, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and mix in vanilla and cinnamon.
• Cool completely.
• For pastry: Preheat oven to 350F (160C).
• Line 9 x 13 inch pyrex baking dish with foil.
• Cream butter with mixer until light; add sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Combine flour, cornstarch and salt in small bowl to blend.
• Add to butter until mixture just starts to come together.
• Separate in half.
• Press one half into pan, just coming up sides slightly.
• Brush pastry edges with egg white.
• Spread filling over pastry, leaving a ¼ inch border.
• Crumble remaining pastry evenly over pan, and lightly pat down with hands, bringing to edge of pan.
• Combine 2 tblsps sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Brush pastry crust with remaining egg white and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake until crust around edge is firm to the touch and pastry just begins to colour, about 1 hour, 20 minutes.
• Cool on rack.
• Remove pastry from pan, using foil as aid.
• Cut into 1 ½ inch squares.

FIG SQUARES

Steps:

• For baking: 1 egg, beaten For dough, in a large mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add 1/4 pound soft butter and work finely into flour. Cut cold butter into 1/2 pieces and add to bowl. Work in until butter is left pea-sized. Drizzle water over mixture and toss in. If dough is dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. Dough should be loose in bowl, not in a ball. Turn out onto work surface and pull together. Divide into 2 equal portions, flatten each slightly, and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour before rolling. (Refrigerate up to 3 days, freeze up to 6 months.) For the fig filling, in a large saucepan, combine all but 1/3 of the grated zest and butter, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until fruit is soft and liquid thickened. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add butter and puree to blend. Add remaining zest and pulse in. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. To assemble and bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 11 by 17-inch baking sheet (up to 12 x18) with parchment paper. Remove one of the wrapped pieces of dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Roll dough on a floured surface into a rectangle to fit the bottom and sides of the baking sheet. Line the sheet with the dough. Place the baking sheet in the freezer while the second piece of dough is rolled out in the same way. Remove baking sheet from freezer and spread fig filling evenly over the surface of the dough. Top with the second sheet of dough and pinch the edges to seal. Trim the excess dough. Brush surface of dough with beaten egg. Prick through the top layer of dough with a fork evenly over the surface (about 1 1/2 apart.) Place baking sheet on bottom rack of oven. Bake 25 to35 minutes, until dough is a light-medium golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Cut into portions (squares are traditional.)

OAT AND FIG SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F . Put figs in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let figs soften for 5-7 minutes. Do not drain.
• Lightly coat an 8X8-inch baking pan with cooking spray (or line with parchment paper or nonstick foil). In a small bowl, mix canola oil or butter, honey, and milk. In a medium bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and salt; add wet ingredients, then mix well.
• Remove softened figs from water and place in a blender or food processor. Add 3 tablespoons of the rehydrating water and puree until smooth. (I added a tiny bit more water as they still seemed a little thick to spread easily.).
• Place a little more than half of the oat mixture in the prepared pan and spread evenly across the bottom. (It was sticking to my hands a bit, so I laid waxed paper over it to press on as I evened it out.) Spread figs evenly on top. Add remaining oat mixture on top of fig layer, allowing some of the figs to show through. (I just pinched off bits of the dough and dropped them evenly over the top.) Pat lightly to flatten.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on a wire rack. When cool, cut into 16 squares.

MARTHA'S CHEWY FIG BARS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine butter, granulated sugar, yolks, salt, vanilla, and flours in the bowl of a food processor. Process until dough comes together, 30 to 60 seconds. Turn dough out and divide in half. Shape each half into a 3-by-5-inch rectangle and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour.
• Make the filling: Heat figs and port in a small saucepan over medium until just simmering. Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer fig mixture to a food processor. Add vanilla bean seeds, brown sugar, and salt; process until a paste forms, 1 minute.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in the middle position. Roll out one piece of dough between lightly floured sheets of parchment paper into an 8-by-11-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling lengthwise down the center of the dough to form a 2 1/2-by-9-inch rectangle. Use parchment to lift dough and fold over the filling to cover. Pinch edges to seal. Refrigerate on parchment until firm, 15 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling.
• Remove both pieces of filled dough from refrigerator. Use parchment to carefully flip dough, seam-side down, onto a single parchment-lined baking sheet. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Combine egg and cream, and lightly brush dough. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on pan before slicing crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick pieces.

FIG FILLING

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring often, until reduced to a thick paste, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Spread filling on a baking sheet to cool.