Lisa Yarde
It’s back-to-school season, and if you’re looking for a lunchbox treat or a grab-and-go breakfast, there’s no better time to recreate a classic dessert. And these bars, made a little more healthy than the usual fig cookies, are so much better than what you likely remember from your school days. Adding oats, walnuts, and a little white whole-wheat flour to the soft dough gives these bars a slightly nutty flavor that enhances and complements the subtly sweet fig filling, as well as amps up the good-for-you aspect a bit.
Fig Bars
Homemade Fig Bars are easy, healthy and better than anything you can buy in the store. They're going to blow your mind.
Servings: 24
Calories: 196kcal
Equipment
- Measuring Cups/Spoons Set
- Dried Black Mission Figs
- Glass Nesting Bowls
- Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer
- 9 x 13-Inch Pan
- 14-Cup Food Processor
- High-Heat Scraper
- 3-Quart Saucepan
- 10" Chef's Knife
- 18 x 24-Inch Plastic Cutting Board
- Glass Liquid Measuring Cups
Ingredients
THE FILLING, HEAT
- 1 lb. Dried Black Mission figs, stemmed
- 2 ½ cups Water
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ cup Fresh orange juice
- ⅛ tsp. Table salt
- ¼ cup Packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup Brandy
- ¼ tsp. Ground allspice
THE CRUST, WHISK
- 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp. Baking powder
- ½ cup Finely chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1 cup Old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ tsp. Table salt
- 1 ½ cups White whole-wheat flour
CREAM
- 2 Sticks unsalted butter (16 Tbsp.), softened
- 1 cup Packed light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. Honey
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
- 1 Egg Yolk
Instructions
The Filling
- Heat figs, water, zest, orange juice, brandy, brown sugar, allspice, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high until sugar dissolves.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until liquid is evaporated and figs soften and easily flatten with a spatula, about 1 hour, adding more water, ¼ cup at a time, as necessary. Transfer fig mixture to a food processor; purée, then cool to room temperature.
- Fit a 9×13-inch baking pan with a parchment sling; coat with butter.
The Crust
- Whisk together flours, oats, walnuts, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream butter, brown sugar, and honey with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3–5 minutes. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.
- Beat in flour mixture on low speed until combined. Divide dough in half, shape half into a rectangle and wrap in plastic, and press other half into prepared baking pan. Chill both doughs at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Roll remaining dough half between two sheets of parchment paper to a 9×13-inch rectangle; chill in freezer until firm. Spread filling over crust in pan, then place top crust over filling.
- Bake bars until top is golden brown and set, 35–40 minutes; let cool completely in pan. Remove bars by lifting parchment sling “handles.”
Notes
Per bar, Calories: 196
Nutrition Facts
1 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories196
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
10g
16%
- Saturated Fat 5g 25%
- Cholesterol 36mg 12%
- Sodium 90mg 4%
- Total Carbohydrate
25g
9%
- Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
- Protein 3g 6%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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