Yummy Homemade Fig Newtons

After grabbing a quick snack on the way to the zoo the other day (Fig Newtons), my son developed a new addiction. He loved them, and kept asking for them all day. I cringed when I saw that the number 2 ingredient was none other than High Fructose Corn Syrup. How could I feel good about giving these to my son? So, last night I scoured the internet in search of a recipe. I just finished a batch of the homemade newtons, and my son LOVED them! He even asked for a second one! Yay!

So, I will share the recipe with you (this is a combination of several different recipes I found during my search last night). I will put pictures up as soon as I find the digital camera....it's around here somewhere!

Homemade Fig Newtons

You can use fresh or dried figs for this recipe. I wish I had found fresh ones, but had to settle for dried for my first attempt. Recipe makes about 2 dozen.

Make the pastry first and the put in the fridge while you work on the fig "jam".

Pastry Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room-temperature


• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room-temperature


• Cinnamon sugar (optional)

Jam Ingredients:

• 1 lb dried figs or 2 lbs fresh figs


• 1 cup sugar


• 3/4 cup water (1/2 cup for fresh figs)


• 1/2 tsp Allspice

To make the pastry: In a small bowl, mix together flour and salt. In a large bowl, blend together cream cheese and butter until well combined. Add flour mixture and blend until you have a sticky dough (and boy is it sticky!). Turn onto a sheet large sheet of plastic wrap, cover and flatten a bit. Chill in refrigerator while you make jam.

To make Jam: Wash (if fresh) and roughly chop figs. Soak figs in a medium saucepan with the water (see above for correct amount) for one hour. Add sugar and allspice to pan and cook over medium-high heat until bubbling and sugar has dissolved. Reduce to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until it has reduced by about one-third and is beginning to gel. Let mixture cool for 5 minutes and then blend in food processor.

Preparing Pastry: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pastry from refrigerator and cut into 4 equal sized pieces. Roll out on a well floured surface into 6x12 inch rectangles. Place on a cookie sheet and spread 1/4 of the jam on one half of the pastry, in a long narrow strip. (You will need 2 cookie sheets, and have 2 pastries on each one). Make sure to leave about a 1/2 inch border along the edges. Fold the pastry over on itself to cover the filling. Use a pizza cutter to trim off extra edges (but still make sure that filling does not come to the edge of the pastry or it will ooze out when you cook it). Use a fork to press the edges of the pastry together on 3 sides, use a knife to put 4-5 slices in the top of the pastry so steam can escape. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until pastry is just beginning to turn brown.

Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes, and then gently transfer to a wire rack. Let the newtons cool for about 20-30 minutes before slicing length-wise. It's important to let them cool before slicing, or the filling will ooze out. Don't let them cool too long though, or the pastry will become too flaky and be difficult to slice. I used a pizza cutter, again, to cut mine into 2 inch pieces.

Figs are such a great fruit. They are high in Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamin B6 and Copper. Also they are high in dietary fiber! You will really feel satisfaction out of making these and giving them to your little buddy (or eating them yourself).