Fig Noors
Your favorite childhood snack with a twist
of vanilla, honey, and orange blossom water!
Did you know that a fig is an inside-out flower? This illustration in Encyclopedia Britannica helps shed some light on the process of how a fig becomes a fig. TLDR: a pollen-dusted female wasp lays eggs inside the fig. The flower pollinates and the birthed wasps have their fun while they can inside the fig. The fig becomes a graveyard for the male wasps while the female wasps escape and continue the pollination process all over again. Interesting, isn’t it?
This past summer, I had the opportunity to pick fresh figs at the Penn Herb Garden and this was the first creation to come to mind. Fig newtons were a childhood staple. They represent a sweet snack that is still healthy-ish despite its cookie-like format.
In this recipe, I use orange blossom water, an ingredient often used to elevate SWANA and Mediterranean desserts. My hope is to preserve the freshness and natural flavor of the fig but also to use ingredients that enhance and elevate the cookie.
Please feel free to leave questions, comments, and thoughts- especially if you try the recipe!
Fig Noors
Dough Ingredients
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. water
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange blossom water
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup white flour
¼ cup rye flour
½ tsp baking powder
Filling Ingredients
½ lb. fresh figs, quartered
¼ cup honey
¼ cup water
Method
Step 1: Mix dough ingredients until well combined and allow to rest in fridge for 1 hour.
Step 2: Boil figs in honey and water for 20 minutes, stirring every couple minutes.
Step 3: Once softened, place in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Step 4: Allow filling to cool.
Step 5: Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit
Step 6: Separate dough into two balls.
Step 7: Roll dough into 2 long sheets, approximately 3”x16” each.
Step 8: Scrape filling into a piping bag and pipe a two continuous lines of filling into the center of the dough strip.
Step 9: Fold dough in half to cover the filling and cut into small rectangles.
Step 10: Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
Notes
For a deeper, nuttier flavor, pan toast the rye flour before combining.
Feel free to substitute the figs for any fresh, seasonal fruit.
