I make these cookies occasionally and love them (almost as much as those 2-serving-packages available commercially.) My issue with mine was it never looked right to seal the dough on the side of the cookie. I saw another method to wrap and seal the fig so today, was a method development bake..

Instead of sealing the dough by pinching the edges together and pressing with the tines of a fork, I wrapped the dough around the fig filling and pressed the edges together on the bottom of the cookie. It took a little thought and work to figure out the mechanics.

The method to make the dough and filling is the same as previously published. One change I will make is to cut the cookies apart after the log is baked. If done when the log is hot, they cut nicely and result in a nice sharp edge, unlike these (right photo) that flowed slightly.

Homemade Fig Cookies – Bookend Fold Seal

INGREDIENTS
• 1 pint fresh or preserved figs or 12 ounces dried figs
• 1 ½ cups AP flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 stick butter
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons orange juice

If you are using:
• Fresh figs: Remove stems and boil figs with 2 cups of sugar in 1 cup of water for 45 minutes. Drain and cool. (This seemed to be too much sugar and water.) Try cutting in half. If too thin, cook down until temp reaches about 210⁰F.
• Dried figs: In a bowl, pour boiling water over figs (stems removed) and let rest 10 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons water and stir in 2 tablespoons corn syrup + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.
• Preserved figs: Drain syrup.
METHOD

1. Puree figs in food processor into a thick paste (if too thick or thin to spread evenly, add a little water or flour until spreadable consistency is reached).
2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together and set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
4. Add egg and vanilla, mix until smooth
5. Add orange juice and combined dry ingredients to bowl and mix until dough forms.
6. Divide dough in half and roll into two rectangles ~4”x ~10 x ~½” and chill for 30 min to set butter and make it easier to roll and fold. It’s helpful to make make the rectangles as even as possible to make the next step easier.
7. Roll dough out between parchment paper into an 5”x14” rectangle ~ ¼” thick.
8. Return to the refrigerator for another 30 minutes, repeat for the second disk.
9. Flip rectangle over to release the dough from the parchment paper.
10. One rectangle at a time, spread fig paste onto the center 1½ ” of each rectangle, lengthwise.
11. Using the parchment paper to help, fold uncovered dough over fig paste.
12. Butt the two edges of the dough together and push together to seal then flip the cookie right side up.
13. Move to a clean piece of parchment paper and place on a baking sheet.
14. Bake 25 minutes at 350⁰F until crust begins to brown.
15. While still warm cut each log into 2” pieces

Note:

1. Try to either spray or lightly flour the parchment paper to help when removing the dough rectangle from the paper.
2. If necessary wet the edges of the fold over portions of the dough to help seal.