| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 40 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 2 hr |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 24 cookies |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 40 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 2 hr |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 24 cookies |
Ingredients
- Butter, for greasing the baking dish
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups dried Mission figs, stemmed (14 ounces)
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 medium orange
- 1 cup unsalted chunky almond butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted, see Cook’s Note
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Line the bottom with an 8-by-20-inch piece of parchment paper, allowing the excess paper to hang over the sides.
- For the crust: Whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- Beat the sugar and butter using an electric hand mixer until combined in a large bowl. Beat in the egg, cream and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat until the mixture forms into clumps. Press the clumps together to form a dough. Knead the dough for 30 seconds and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- For the filling: Place 1/4 cup water, the figs, orange juice, vanilla extract and orange zest in a food processor. Blend until the figs are finely ground, about 2 minutes. Add the almond butter and blend until incorporated. Add the almonds and pulse until combined.
- Remove the plastic from the dough and cut in half. Roll out 1 piece of dough into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle on a well-floured work surface. Cut the dough in half lengthwise and then in half crosswise to make 4 equal-size pieces of dough. Transfer the dough pieces to the prepared baking dish using a spatula, and arrange in a single layer. Pinch the edges of the dough together to seal. Spoon the filling onto the dough. Spread the filling evenly over the dough using damp hands. Smooth the top of the filling using a rubber spatula. Roll out the remaining dough into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut into 4 equal pieces and place on top of the filling, pinching the edges of the dough together to seal. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Place the baking dish on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Using the excess parchment paper as handles, remove and place on a cutting board. Cut the cookie into twenty-four 1 1/2-inch-square pieces and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 24 servings |
| Calories | 221 |
| Total Fat | 13 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 23 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 21 mg |
| Sodium | 99 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 24 servings |
| Calories | 221 |
| Total Fat | 13 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 23 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 21 mg |
| Sodium | 99 mg |
Reviews
I’ve made this recipe twice with outstanding results both times. The soft texture of the crust with the nutty texture and orange flavors of the filling, were outstanding. I like it more than the traditional Italian dog cookies I grew up with. You could shape them in the traditional Cucidati but a bar cookie is much easier. Thanks Giada!
My parents are coming to visit and my dad loves Italian fig cookies. I found this recipe that I printed years ago and didn’t read the reviews before making them, thinking they’d be similar to the cookies he likes. I bake constantly and although the dough was easy to work with, I can see these being tricky for a novice baker. I used Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour instead and it was fine. Basically they’re Fig Newtons and I personally don’t like those cookies so hoping my dad does otherwise they will get thrown out as no one else in my home likes them either. I would not make these again, but if you’re a Fig Newton fan, you will love these.
Definitely recommend this recipe! Really good. I did not think this recipe was difficult to make. I will make this again for sure.
I’m not good with pastry doughs, so that was the hardest part, but these were absolutely delicious. Everyone just raved about them.
It wasn’t the easiest to make but the result was wonderful. I used a little less orange zest and store bought orange juice and it turned out fine. The only thing I may differently in the future is add a little less almond butter and more figs. It feels a little heavy on the roasted almond note. Or I may even add a little raspberry preserves to give it a little more acid and fruit flavor.
Had to make them right away. Yummy ! Yummy! Yummy!
Absolutely amazing! Way better than fig newtons (which are pretty hard to top! My family and coworkers loved them (I had to give them away or I would have eaten the whole pan! I will only make these and never buy fig newtons again. My only issue was that even though I knew the dough was supposed to be wet, mine seemed too wet, so I added a 1/4 cup more of regular flour and almond flour. I may try to make them again with whole wheat flour. Love them, so excited Giada made these!
Better than fig newtons. I couldn’t stop eating them.
If you like fig newtons, then you will like this recipe. The top crust does not have to be sealed completely. Hairline cracks will meld together as it bakes. I followed the recipe exactly and baked it for 25 minutes. Perfect!