Fig Newtons

I have been making my own version of fig newtons the past couple of weeks!  We have a lovely crop of figs coming ripe here at Hunter's Grove.  They go bad SO fast that you have to pick and process in the same breath or the figs are good for nothing but the compost pile! I believe that's why all of the recipes I found for figs called for dried figs. Anyway, I didn't have dried figs, I had fresh ones and I had to make up my own recipe for the filling. It has turned out great each time and my husband says they are the best item in my baking repertoire!

It didn't occur to me to take a picture *before* we had eaten a bunch of them...

Full Disclosure: I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants cook/ baker, so this may or may not be exactly what happened in my kitchen.

Filling:
a bunch of fresh figs (I used 8, but there was more filling than I needed, so I froze the rest)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup honey (the second time I made these I was out of honey and used a few Tbs of blackstrap molasses instead- It was good both ways!)

I used the food processor to chop/mix until it was jam texture.

Cake: (this was a recipe I had for tea cakes)
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 ounces butter, softened
1/2 cup + 2 T brown sugar, packed
1 T cream (I have used half and half, too)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together the brown sugar and butter. Add the cream and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until a soft dough forms (be careful not to over-mix). Turn dough out onto a floured countertop and form a smooth ball. Let chill in fridge for 2-4 hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Cut dough ball into 4 sections and keep the part you’re not using in the fridge. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a strip about 4 inches wide. Trim the rough edges and spoon some of your fig puree down the center of the rectangle, being sure to save room around all edges. Fold the outer edges of the rectangle in and pinch together to make a tube. I flattened the pinched part down and turned the tube over so the top of my newtons were pretty and smooth. Repeat with other pieces of dough.
Bake for twenty five minutes, until golden. Let cool before slicing into newtons.

So there you have it! I hope you can locate some fresh figs so you can try it! If not, I am sure you can find some other yummy fruit to fill them with!

Today, I am participating in the Hearth and Soul link-up over at A Moderate Life.