Fig Bars

2 min read

Fig Bars

from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

  • For the dough:

    • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

    • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

    • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

    • 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

    • 12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, at room temp

    • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

    • 1 Tbsp. honey

    • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

    • 1 large egg, at room temperature

    • Baking spray with flour, for the pan

    For the filling:

    • 12 oz. dried mission or Turkish figs, stemmed and quartered

    • 1/2 cup applesauce

    • 2 Tbsp. orange juice

    • 1 Tbsp. honey

How to Make

  1. For the dough:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and cinnamon until combined.

    3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, light brown sugar, and honey on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl. Decrease the mixer speed to low, and gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until the dough just comes together.

    4. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Remove half the dough from the stand mixer and press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. Using the plastic wrap overhang as handles, lift out the dough square, wrap it tightly in the plastic, and freeze on a flat surface until ready to use.

    5. Spray the baking pan with baking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Spray the parchment. Press the remaining dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. Cover and freeze until ready to use.

  2. For the filling:

    1. In a food processor, pulse the figs, applesauce, orange juice, and honey until a smooth, thick paste forms, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.

    2. Remove both pieces of dough from the freezer. Dollop the fig mixture onto the crust in the pan, then carefully spread it until smooth and even. Unwrap the second crust and place it on top of the fig mixture, pressing lightly to compress.

  3. Bake until the top is light golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing into bars, at least 2 hours.

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