Fresh Fig Newton Cookies

Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough

8 Tbsp salted butter, softened

¼ c brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp fresh orange zest

1 c all purpose flour (divided)

¾ c whole wheat flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

For the Fresh Fig Jam Filling:

1 lb fresh figs, stems removed and quartered

2 Tbsp orange juice

1/2 c sugar

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

For the Cookie Dough

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric hand mixer (2-3 min).

2. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and orange zest until well combined.

3. Add 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour, 3/4 c of whole wheat flour, the baking powder, and salt. Mix until a soft cookie dough forms, adding the remaining 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour as needed to bring the dough together.

4. With your hands, shape the dough into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

For the Fresh Fig Jam Filling

1. While the dough is chilling, heat the fig jam ingredients together in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the figs are soft (30 minutes).

2. Transfer the softened fig mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

3. Transfer the puree back to the saucepan and heat over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly while bubbling, until very thick. Your finished "jam" should be so thick that it holds soft peaks (see the image in our article).

(This yields roughly 1 1/3 c of filling, which is more than you will need for this recipe, but now you can enjoy a batch of fig jam too!)

Putting It All Together

1. Preheat your oven to 325F.

2. Line a large baking tray with a baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

3. On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 10 inch x 14 inch rectangle. Use a knife or pizza cutter as needed to make the outer edges straight.

4. Cut the dough lengthwise into three strips, roughly 3.5 inches x 14 inches.

5. Spoon a line of jam filling down the center of each strip of dough, roughly 1 inch wide.

6. Carefully fold each edge of dough over the top of the fig jam, making a log. Press the top to seal the dough slightly.

7. Place the logs, seam side down, onto your lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

8. Bake the cookie logs for 17-20 minutes, until the logs feel dry and slightly firm when touched. Remove the pan from the oven and cut each log into 8-9 cookies while still warm.

9. While still warm, place the cut cookies into an airtight container. (This will soften the cookies as they cool.)